


The Grey Jedi

by CaptainProngs



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, The Mandalorian (TV), book of boba fett
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst with a Happy Ending, Boba Fett & Fennec Shand Friendship, Boba Fett Needs A Hug, Bounty Hunters, Eventual Smut, F/M, Feelings Realization, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Science Fiction, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Soft Boba Fett, Unresolved Sexual Tension, age gap (maybe like 10 years), also it's my first time writing real smut so please go easy on me, boba fett deserves all the love in the world, traumatic memories
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:53:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 58,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28612371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainProngs/pseuds/CaptainProngs
Summary: Iseult Jinn is the daughter of two Sith Lords. Born and raised during the time of the Empire, she was trained from birth in the ways of the Sith. Little do her parents know that it is impossible for Iseult to fall to the Dark Side, as she is something very rare known as a Grey Jedi, Force-Sensitive users who can walk the line between the Dark and Light side of the Force without being swayed. During the Battle of Yavin, Iseult is able to escape and finds herself crashing into the dunes of Tatooine where she is found by no other than the infamous bounty hunter Boba Fett.All credits go to George Lucas and the Star Wars Franchise!
Relationships: Boba Fett/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

Iseult

Iseult quietly opens her drawers, making sure to be careful so that nobody hears her. A bag lays across the dark sheets of her bed, open and empty, waiting to be filled. She gently sifts through her clothing, choosing some and shoving them into the bag. Panic is beginning to grip around her, as tight and unrelenting as the Force choke she, her parents, and Darth Vader have done so many times before. She can't seem to get rid of this fear, feeling as though she's on edge, as if anyone will walk into her room and realize what she's about to do. But before it can fully overtake her -

"You need to stay calm," a voice echoes through the room as she chokes down a gasp, whirling around to see the Force ghost of her grandfather, Qui-Gon Jinn. 

"Easy for you to say," she quips back angrily. 

"Fear and anger will not help you here," he says gently as she shoots him a glare in between digging through her multiple pairs of boots. 

"Fear and anger are the emotions I was taught to embrace. In case you haven't forgotten, grandfather, I was raised by two Siths, raised by _your_ son to _be_ a Sith." Iseult shoves two boots into her bag, feeling through the Force the slight sadness that takes over her grandfather. Guilt begins to creep into her stomach. She lets out a small sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I apologize, grandfather. I didn't mean to snap at you."

She glances at her grandfather, who gives her a gentle smile. "I know, my dear granddaughter. Why do you think I chose immortality? To deny the will of the Force upon my death? To study this path of immortality?"

Iseult's steps hesitate just for a moment. Her grandfather never told her how and why he became a Force ghost. The only explanation he gave her when he showed up in Iseult's bedroom one night a year ago when she was sobbing after a particularly hard training session that ended with her parents tearing down her self-esteem into nothing, was that he was able to do it through the light side of the force. She opened the door to her bathroom, grabbing her already packed toiletry bag and shoving it neatly into her leather bag. "You never told me," is all she says, digging through her drawers now.

"I had a vision once, back when I was only a young Padawan. It was a vision of the future, of a young girl with fair skin, curly red hair, and freckles scattered across her cheeks. A young girl with blue eyes, _my_ blue eyes. This young girl was being trained in the Dark side of the Force by two Siths. I could feel through the Force how miserable she was, how alone she felt, and the fear and anger building up inside her. I realized quickly enough that this young girl must be my granddaughter, and that I must do everything in my power to save her from the Dark side of the Force." Iseult has stopped, now staring at him, eyes wide and body cold. He did all this for _her?_ Her grandfather gave a wry chuckle. "Oh, how wrong I was when I finally found you."

Iseult knew exactly what he meant. Her grandfather quickly realized what she was: a Grey Jedi. A Force-user who walks the line between the light and dark side of the Force without being corrupted by the dark side. He explained that they were very rare, and that there hadn't been a real Grey Jedi in hundreds of years. Not until now. Not until her. The majority of Jedi are unable to use the dark side of the Force without being corrupted. Iseult uses the dark side of the Force nearly every day and she has never felt any corruption. She always believed that there was no light or dark side of the Force, only the Force. 

Her grandfather has spent the past year in secret teaching her the ways of the Grey Jedi or everything he remembers about them. They believe that there is passion, yet peace; serenity, yet emotion; and chaos, yet order. There is no good without evil, but evil must not be allowed to flourish. Their goal, unlike the Sith who strive for victory and unlike the Jedi who strive for harmony, is _balance._ It all just _made sense_ to her. Like everything was finally clicking into place. She cried. For once not feeling so _strange_ and as though she didn't belong. And now... she may be the only Grey Jedi left, at least to her knowledge, but at least she _belongs._

But now, the time has come for her to leave. She planned on leaving the moment she watched the Empire destroy Alderaan. She can't be apart of this anymore. And at twenty-two years old, she's old enough to leave and actually survive out there. Finally, she zips up her bag, which is now packed full to the brim. Kneeling down on the ground, she opens an unlatched square of the patterned floor, placing the metal on top of the rest of the floor, and pulling from it two lightsabers and two force-imbued swords. Her fingers skim over the two lightsabers. One is a grey lightsaber, which she made six months ago to represent her dedication to being a Grey Jedi and her goal of bringing balance to the Force. The other lightsaber, the moment her finger skim over it, she feels the connection between her grandfather and herself through the Force. 

"My old lightsaber will serve you well. I am glad and honored, granddaughter, for you to be using it."

Iseult feels a rush of gratitude and warmth flow through her at her grandfather's words. He's been the only person she has ever been able to rely on, the only person who has ever given a shit about her, the only person who ever really _loved_ her. Definitely not her parents. They only had a child so that they could continue the Sith line and have a child that would have their combined powers. They wanted a weapon. Not a child. Not her.

And that _hurts_ so desperately that sometimes it pulls her breath from her body, makes her bones feel like they're cracking, grief and pain so profound she feels she might explode. 

But she has _him._ She's no longer alone.

"I don't know how to thank you," she begins, voice heavy as she latches her lightsabers into the holsters attached to her belt, one on each side, hanging by her thighs. She grabs her Force-imbued swords, which glow grey from the color of the crystals she chose for them, sheathing them into two custom-made sheaths she made that wrap around her shoulders, the swords over her black Sith cloak, pressed firmly against her back. If she needs to use them, all she has to do is pull one out using the Force, since it is impossible to pull out by hand a sword that long that is sheathed behind the person's back. "If not for you -" she glances away for a moment, swallowing, "I wouldn't be the person I am today. I would still be stuck as a Sith, completely alone and so, so hateful. _You_ freed me from that," tears streak down her cheeks, "you gave me my _life_ back. You gave me a life, free from all this. I can never thank you enough, grandfather."

A moment later, Iseult feel's the cool hand of her grandfather wiping her tears away. She glances up at him as he gives her a kind smile, causing her to inhale shakily. "Don't cry, my darling granddaughter. It has been an _honor_ to have met you. And anyways, it's not like I'm going anywhere. I'll _always_ be with you. Whenever you need me, I'll be there."

"I love you, grandfather," she whispers, closing her eyes as she feels him press his lips against her forehead. 

"I love you too, granddaughter."

Boba

Boba Fett kneels behind a rocky outcropping, watching his acquisition curse and stammer as they kick their speeder bike. It "conveniently" died on them while they were out in the middle of the desert. While the acquisition was drunk and asleep in some seedy cantina in Mos Eisley, Boba, unable to grab them in there with so many other bounty hunters nearby, placed a small device on the acquisition's speeder. All Boba had to do was press a button on his sleeve and watch as the bike spluttered and died before his very eyes. But just as Boba was about to move, to get ready to grab this acquisition and get his very generous bounty, both his eyes and the eyes of his acquisition are pulled to something tumbling through the sky.

An escape pod, an _Imperial_ escape pod. It sputters, smoke trailing behind it before crashing only a couple of feet from his acquisition. Boba curses, watching as the acquisition lets out a yelp and steps back, reaching for their blaster and shakily pointing it at the escape pod. Boba uses his helmet to zoom in on the scene, watching as the pod opens, revealing someone in all black clothing, their hood covering their face, except for the small bit of their chin, revealing the person to have fair skin. Boba realizes a moment later that the stranger must be hurt, because they're clutching their stomach with one hand as they unbuckle themselves with the other.

"Hands up! Now!" His acquisition shouts, voice rising with fear. 

Boba watches as the stranger's head turn towards right the noise, one hand still clutching their stomach while their right hand reaches out. Boba frowns, brows burrowing together, there is no blaster in their hand, what are they - but before Boba can even finish his thought, _lightening_ , kriffing _lightening_ shoots out of the stranger's hand. The acquisition yelps as lightening envelops them, their entire body twitching as they scream in pain before falling onto the ground, either unconscious or dead. Boba begins to move from his hiding spot, creeping gently towards the stranger and the possibly-dead acquisition, who has yet to notice him. 

A gasp erupts from the person's mouth as they tumble out of the escape pod, clutching their stomach. They're mumbling something, but Boba can't tell what, simply watching them as they lay on their back, both hands on their stomach now as they look at the sky. By the time Boba gets close enough, he hears what the stranger, who he can now tell by their voice is a woman, is now mumbling, repeating words over and over again in a strangled, distant voice.

" _There must be both dark and light. I will do what I must to keep the balance, as the balance is what holds all life. There is no good without evil, but evil must not be allowed to flourish. There is passion, yet peace; serenity, yet emotion; chaos, yet order. I am a wielder of the flame; a champion of balance. I am a guardian of life. I am a Gray Jedi_."

 _Kriff_ , Boba thinks, _a Jedi?! Here?!_ All the Jedi are supposed to be dead. Anger flares inside Boba just at the mention of the word 'Jedi." He hates the Jedi, absolutely detests them, because it was a Jedi who murdered his father, decapitated them with their bright purple lightsaber. His hand clenches tighter onto his blaster as he considers killing the Jedi. They deserve to die. All of them. But he doesn't shoot. Maybe it's curiosity, maybe it's his code or maybe something else entirely. He _wants_ to shoot her, but he can't. It's like there's something inside of him is holding himself back, like warning bells ringing in the back of his head shouting _don't, don't, don't_ and _no, no, no_ with a chorus of caution and warnings. He's trusted his gut before, and it's saved his life many times. Looks like he'll have to trust his gut on this one. 

_As long as she doesn't shoot that kriffing lightening at me,_ Boba thinks to himself, _I might not blast her._

"Hands up, _now,_ " Boba growls out, a scowl turning his lips down as he points his blaster at the woman. But she does nothing. Says nothing. Doesn't even flinch. He's still a couple of feet away from her, unable to see her face. The only thing she does is continue to mumble those words.

" _There must be both dark and light. I will do what I must to keep the balance, as the balance is what holds all life. There is no good without evil, but evil must not be allowed to flourish. There is passion, yet peace; serenity, yet emotion; chaos, yet order. I am a wielder of the flame; a champion of balance. I am a guardian of life. I am a Gray Jedi_."

"Lady, _shut up and raise your kriffing hands_ unless you want a blaster in the mouth." He waits. And waits. 

" _There must be both dark and light. I will do what I must to keep the balance, as the balance is what holds all life. There is no good without evil, but evil must not be allowed to flourish. There is passion, yet peace; serenity, yet emotion; chaos, yet order. I am a wielder of the flame; a champion of balance. I am a guardian of life. I am a Gray Jedi_."

 _Kriff it,_ Boba thinks, marching around the woman, blaster pointed at her the entire time, to face her. Boba nearly trips when he sees her. _She's beautiful_ , he thinks to himself before cursing inwardly at his stupidity. No matter what, she's still a Jedi. And Boba Fett has never been fooled by a pretty face in his entire life, no matter how pretty. Her skin is ashy, pale, far too pale. _She must truly be injured_ , he thinks, eyes going to her hands which are covering a wound he cannot see. His brown eyes go back to her face. Freckles scatter across the too-pale skin, eyes as blue as the Tatooine sky, beautiful and gentle. But they're distant, glazed over, pink lips uttering that phrase, mantra, whatever the kriff it is over and over. And underneath her black hood is curly red hair, as bright as the setting sun. 

"You in there, lady?" Boba asks cautiously. She does nothing. _Nothing._ "What the kriff happened to you, huh?" 

Boba gently, ever so slowly kneels down next to her, eyes going back between her and her hands. He slides his gloved hand underneath one of hers, skin surprisingly smooth as he begins to raise it away from her stomach. Suddenly, her two hands are clutching onto his. Boba immediately raises his blaster in his other hand at her but she isn't looking at it, eyes suddenly very clear as she looks at him desperately.

" _The Sith_ ," she chokes, voice rough and harsh, sounding strange, almost as if she's somewhere else. " _They're coming. They're rising in power. They're going to destroy everything. Sith power is starting to grow stronger than the power of the few remaining Jedi left. There is no longer balance in the Force. There_ needs _to be balance. There_ needs _to be, do you understand me?_ They're _coming... they're coming... they're -"_ and then her eyes roll into the back of her head and she falls onto the sand, unconscious. 

"What the -" Boba begins, glancing at her and then the still-unconscious or possibly-dead acquisition behind him. Boba seriously considers leaving her here in the sand. She deserves it after all, if she's Jedi. He should just take the acquisition and go. But for some reason he can't. He can't pull himself away from her and just _leave her_ here. He does have a code after all. And a part of his code is not abandoning an innocent (for so far he is and he can't judge her before he knows whether or not she has committed any crimes).


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iseult and Boba finally meet and have a conversation

Iseult

Iseult blinks her eyes wearily, groaning against the assaulting light as her numb and disoriented brain tries to focus on what's happening. Images flash through her mind. Her parents catching her just before she makes her way to the escape pod. The anger in her mother's, sharper than even Iseult's Force-imbued blades, face contorting, pink lips turning into a scowl as she sneered at her daughter. She remembers the fear in her father's eyes, those blue, blue eyes that are the same as Iseult's, the same as her grandfather. How she had to fight both of them, mother unrelenting and father hesitating, not trying to make a killing blow but just unarm her, knock her unconscious.

She had won, she remembers that now. But... but before that, she shifts through the memories as though she's wading through mud, a fog enclosed so tight around her that trying to find the next memory is like trying to see in front of her. Possible. But difficult. The sound of lightsabers clashing together, the panic that was flooding through her body, her only goal was to _survive._ Then, it appears through the mist, that memory that seemed to be screaming at her to remember. 

_How dare you!_ Her mother had screamed, curly red hair coming undone from her bun as she waved her lightsaber through the air, hitting Iseult's blocks with enough force to cause her arms to shake. _How dare you betray_ us! Leave us! _You pathetic, weak, creature! We offered you everything! Unlimited power! And you refuse it?! You're weak, just like your grandfather was. And you'll die, just as he did, at the hands of a Sith._

And then she remembers the sound of the _vroom_ of her mother's lightsaber, a flash of red, the smell of burning flesh, and Iseult's screams piercing through the air. The _thunk_ of her knees hitting the floor as she clutched her stomach, how she had feigned weakness, dropping her lightsabers, waiting until her parents had dropped their guards just a little, confidence overtaking her mother, fear and anger overtaking her father. Then, before her mother could raise her lightsaber to give the killing blow, Iseult had blasted them both with Force lightening, just enough to knock them both unconscious.

Iseult had stumbled into an escape pod, although how she somehow made it to Tatooine with a damaged pod, she has no idea. She had crashed, she remembers now, as her mind begins to wake up more, she remembers that. There was... a man... pointing a blaster at her and she - _oh no_ , she shot Force-lightening at him. Just enough to knock him unconscious. And then... she squints as her surroundings begin to come into view, a white ceiling above her. There was another. "Y _ou in there, lady?_ " A strange and unknown voice floats through her mind, _what the kriff happened to you, huh_?"

_A Mandalorian._

Oh no, this isn't good. Mandalorians and Jedi (including the Sith) _despise_ each other. And then the Empire had to go and turn their planet into glass. She must be his prisoner. Quickly glancing around the room, Iseult takes in her surroundings. It's a small, grey room with some white, a bed, which she's currently on, a set of drawers in the wall to her right, a thick metal trunk at the edge of her bed, some paneling in the wall across from her that looks slightly off, a keypad next to it, and a chair to her right, next to the drawers. It's so... empty. Vacant. Is this a prison room?

Behind her is the door to the room and her bag... where is her bag? She glances towards her waist to see her weapons gone, to see her _clothes_ gone. Now, she's in brown pants that are way too long for her, rolled up many times to her ankles so that she doesn't trip on them and a long, light blue tunic, rolled up to her wrists as well. Nervously, she raises the collar of her shirt to look down. At least she's still wearing her bra, that's a relief. After another realization, she quickly shoves her hand down her pants to see that she's still wearing the same underwear. Good. Good. At least whoever changed her didn't see her _fully_ naked. That... that wouldn't have been right since there wasn't a _need_ to remove her underwear and bra. At least whoever changed her has some level of decency. 

But... but if they changed her clothes, they must've taken her lightsabers _and_ her Forced-imbued swords. She curses inwardly. _Of course,_ she had to fall unconscious only to be picked up and found by a kriffing _Mandalorian._ And then they take her weapons?! It makes sense but still. Those swords are incredibly rare. No one has made new ones in thousands upon thousands of years. It took forever to make them and even longer to perfect. Hours, days, and months she spent laboring over them, glancing at a very rare book she had stolen from an old, derelict and abandoned Jedi temple years ago, which contain instructions for how to make Force-imbued swords. And now she has no weapons on her. At least she has the Force. That's something.

Listening for any noises, she waits an entire minute before starting to sit up, but the moment her stomach moves, abs clenching together, she lets out a mixture of a gasp and a yelp of pain. Her back falls back down on the bed as she clutches her stomach, raising her shirt to see that her stomach has been bandaged and wrapped. Even through the pain she frowns. Someone spent a lot of time patching her up and putting her in comfortable clothes. No prison would be this careful, this... _gentle._ Unless... unless she's been captured by the Rebellion. Does the Rebellion even do shit like this?

A moment later, the door opens to reveal a man in full Mandalorian armor. _Beskar_ she realizes after a moment. His armor was a deep green except for the red about the t-shape of the visor of his helmet. It was battle worn with the paint fading and scratched in some parts and signs of blaster bolts and dents on other parts of it. A warrior. Dangerous. That's what this armor spells. A threat. Not someone to mess with.

The man himself is tall and muscular, Iseult can tell even through the armor. _Intimidating_ more like. She's seen worse than a Mandalorian, she's seen a lot worse. Creatures and sentients of the dark, the powers of the Sith. Things of nightmares that would scare even the toughest Mandalorian. It's scarred her, searing those images and memory into her mind. But it was easier to not be so scared of it when she was drawing power from the dark side. When power was all that sung in her blood, calling upon it as easily as blinking, as easily as breathing, as life itself. But, the question is, can she fight a Mandalorian in her weakened state? Especially one so dangerous?

The Mandalorian's helmet tips slightly as she glares at him, still clutching her stomach with one hand, precariously balancing herself with her other arm, forearm digging deeply into the mattress of the bed as she attempts to get some leverage, to pull her shoulders from sinking into the mattress. 

" _Easy_ ," the Mandalorian says gently, his voice surprisingly deep, harsh and rugged, sounding even more intimidating through the modulator in his helmet. But there's a hesitancy in his voice, speaking to her as though he's trying to calm someone down, not warn them. Although his voice sounds like a warning enough. Even if he was saying the kindest words, Iseult imagines that his voice alone would cause people to go scurrying in the other direction, even too afraid to look back.

Iseult watches him with wide, scared eyes, looking, and _feeling_ like some trapped, cornered animal. The Mandalorian holds up both of his hands, gloved in black leather, being surprisingly careful around her. 

"Who -" she sucks in a deep breath, " _kriff_ that hurts."

"You need to lie back down or you'll only hurt yourself more than you already have," the Mandalorian says, weighing his words carefully. 

Iseult can't tell anything from him, can't discern anything with that helmet on. The only thing she notices about him is that he seems to be very cautious around her, as though he's ready to leap away from her at a moment's notice. But he's right. She lets out a long sigh, back plopping against the bed, bouncing slightly before coming to a rest as she eyes him. 

"Where am I?" She demands. 

"I need to check your wounds," he avoids her questions, "will you allow me?"

" _Where. Am. I?_ "

He chuckles, a deep and slightly sinister sound. It makes goosebumps spread down her arms and her to realize quickly that this is a very, very dangerous man. Iseult waves her hand in the air, saying in a calm voice, "you will tell me where I am." The man chuckles again as Iseult repeats the movement. He lets her try it a third time before her arm drops dejectedly onto the bed. She lets out a breath of hot air, feeling so angry it's almost like that breath she just released was fire itself. 

"That little trick doesn't work on me, Jedi."

"I an _not_ a Jedi!" Iseult hisses, anger shooting through her. Kriff, why is she always so _angry_?

"Really?" The Mandalorian tilts his helmet slightly, voice taunting before becoming unsurprisingly, very hard. "Then what was that I saw back there of you shooting lightening out of your hand? And those two lightsabers and two very interesting swords I found on your person?"

"That was Force lightening," Iseult corrects, teeth grinding furiously as she _knows_ that she shouldn't be letting her anger get the better of her but she feels so scared and trapped and afraid. Being injured is a weakness she can't afford at the moment. Not with her parents after her. Not with the entire Empire after her most likely if her parents have anything to say about it. And not with her being stuck in this room with a kriffing _Mandalorian._ "And those weapons are _mine._ "

"I'm not letting you anywhere near those weapons until I know you won't try to use them to kill me," the Mandalorian says, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, looking a bit more relaxed. 

"I could kill you right now and would barely have to move a muscle," she says even though she knows it's a lie. Even Grey Jedi don't kill unarmed innocents - if he even is to be considered innocent - but he hasn't done anything to harm her or threaten her. Kriff, he probably saved her life. 

The Mandalorian laughs again, the sound causing more anger to flow through her. She closes her eyes, trying to feel the Force and _calm herself down._ She hates this. Hates feeling so... so helpless. She was always ahead of everyone else, always more powerful, smarter, and cunning. Power. Power. Power. It's what made her feel confident, self-assured, and now that she isn't relying on power alone anymore, on the hate and fear that comes from it, she feels like some baby bird, some little thing that can't defend itself. 

"Go ahead," he says and she swears that he's smirking under that helmet. She wishes to wipe that smirk off of his arrogant face.

Then, she takes a moment to collect herself, to remind herself why she _left_ and who she wants to be. Who she's striving to be. She lets out a long, irritated sigh. More upset with herself and her behavior more than anything else. She rubs a hand over her face, dragging it down before glancing at him again, feeling slightly guilty for being so rude to him. "I'm sorry," Iseult huffs, shaking her head. "You probably saved my lifeand here I am threatening to kill you. I'm sorry I -" she shakes her head with another sigh. "I'm sorry I just..." she swallows, glancing away as tears prickle behind her eyes, blinking them away before they can manifest into something more, "I just don't know where I am or what's going on."

She finally glances at the man again to see him silent, arms slowly uncrossing as he just _stares_ at her, or she thinks he's staring at her, she can't tell with that helmet of it. After a couple of long, drawn-out moments with the two staring at each other, he finally glances away, clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his neck. He looks... _nervous._

"It's not that big of a deal. You crashed right in front of me. I just found you and brought you back to my ship and patched you up."

"Then I owe you my life debt," Iseult sighs, not liking where this is going. 

The Mandalorian is silent for a couple of moments longer before giving a sigh that matched Iseult's. "Let's... let's just focus on getting you better first before we start talking of life debts."

Boba

Boba watches as something passes behind the Jedi's blue eyes, gratefulness... and something else. He feels strange, and slightly out of place here even though this is _his_ ship. He was... gentle, so gentle with the injured Jedi. A gentleness that even surprised Boba, a gentleness that he didn't even know that he had in him. He remembers taking his speeder, her in his arms, and making his way as fast as possible back towards his ship. He remembers carrying her in, her sometimes mumbling that mantra half-deliriously and other times unconscious. Mostly unconscious, though. After... after she had _told him_ with that strange, strange voice, so different from the sweet honey-like voice she has now, even when she's angry, that the Sith were back. That they were becoming more powerful than the last few remaining Jedi left. A whole lot of undecipherable words and phrases, what would seem like nonsense to most people, but Boba felt that the warning she had given him was very, very important. If only he could understand it. Does she even remember telling him this? Does she even remember getting that wound?

He has used bacta to heal her wound and had then changed her into something more comfortable, being very careful to keep her bra and underwear on before throwing her destroyed clothes into a bucket. Maybe she wants them. Maybe not. But Boba is sometimes surprised at the things that people are so attached to. He had one guy try to kill him once after Boba had spilled some spotchka on his shoes. But with this girl... he had been so kind, so unlike the Boba he has known for years now. The last time he was this kind, this nice... he still had a father. 

Boba's gloved hand wraps around the back of a chair, pulling it towards the bed as he faces her stomach. Boba glances at the girl, who is watching him curiously, still slightly hesitant, but far more... _trusting_ of him than she was when she had first woke. Maybe trust isn't the right word but... hey, at least she's not shooting lightening out of her hands at him. That's something. And she's letting him look at her wounds. 

"May I?" Boba asks, gesturing towards her covered stomach as she nods. 

Boba gently lifts up her shirt, pulling it up until it passes the wrapping of her wound, just under her breasts, allowing her to grab onto it with her hands. He slowly unwraps the cloth, trying to make sure that she doesn't have to lift her torso up in any way. After a whole minute or two of this, the wrap finally leaves her, Boba having to pull slightly from how it stuck to her skin. He knows her eyes are on her as he pulls away the two long bacta bandages that are taped to her body, revealing a long scar slashing across her entire stomach at a slightly diagonal angle. The wound is still red around the scar, angry, but healing. Boba wasn't sure if he could even heal it since it looked as though whatever weapon had sliced her stomach open had cauterized it. 

"Shit," she whispers followed by a small, dry laugh completely devoid of humor. "That bad, huh?"

"Your wound had been cauterized so the bacta took longer to work."

"How long was I out for?"

"A day, maybe a day and a half. Not long," Boba mutters as he watches her pale stomach deflate as she lets out a long, shaky breath. He pulls two bacta patches from his suit, ripping the first open as he can feel her eyes on him. Boba pauses for a moment, glancing at her before carefully lining up one patch against her skin, making sure to be gentle as it covers half of her long, long scar. "I have some questions."

He can feel her tense under his fingertips, where he gently smoothes the patch against her skin before moving onto the next one. Boba waits a moment, only a second later himself realizing that he's waiting for her approval. 

The Jedi sucks in a deep breath before asking, voice shaking ever so slightly, "whose allegiance have you given yourself to?"

Boba scowls under the helmet, nearly growling out, "I give my allegiance to no one." He glances at the Jedi, who leans back, body slightly less tense as she watches him place the second bacta patch on the rest of her scar, covering where it starts just under her ribs. Boba tries to sort through all the questions in his head, which to ask first, which would be _best_ to ask first, the most logical. But instead, he blurts out, "who did this to you, huh, kid?"

He watches as she clenches her jaw and glances away from him, eyes hidden as she stares at the white walls of his room. Boba waits patiently. "I need to know if someone's going to be coming after you and if I should be prepared," he says sternly as the Jedi lets out a shaky breath, chewing the inside of her lip before looking at her now bandaged wound, which Boba is beginning to wrap with new medical wrap around her torso. 

"My mother," she finally says as Boba stops his movements, pauses for a moment in surprise. This... this wound would've been fatal if Boba hadn't found her. And it was _meant_ to be fatal. But no parent should be doing _this_ to their child. Something swirls deep in Boba's gut that he doesn't want to think about but it seems like, _feels_ like sympathy. Not pity, Boba's never been a pitier but some acknowledgement and understanding of her pain and anger at her parent for trying to hurt their child.

"Your home not safe?" He asks as she lets out a dry laugh that's dark and sorrowful, cracking at the end, bubbling and breaking, letting out a noise of despair and pain that Boba knows all too well. 

Her eyes finally find his and Boba is shocked by how blue they are, how bright and clear and so honest yet so full of _pain._ She looks so _hurt._ "It never was," she sighs as Boba latches the wrap, fastening it before removing his hands from her body. Her palm hovers above it, pressing down ever so slightly, as if she can feel the wound and the pain, not physical pain, no, not that. Then, as quickly as it had happened her hand is back, shoving Boba's shirt down to cover her stomach. 

"They hurt you?" Boba doesn't know _why_ he's asking her this, as if he's concerned about this stranger who he knows nothing about other than that she's a Jedi, can shoot _lightening out of her hands_ , and has a homicidal mother who wants to murder her. 

She's silent for a moment, glancing at the wall before whispering in a voice far too soft and quiet, "not physically." She clears her throat, "at least, not until now, until this -" and she gestures to her bandaged stomach. Boba's never really cared for the poor, the defenseless, always saw them as weak. He'd walk by people on the streets begging for food and money but never gave any. At least, most of the time. He only ever gave to kids who had no one. But, he's also not giving it out all the time. Only when they're able to pull some emotion out of him, some feeling besides rage and anger or calm, cool and collected, mind focused on logic and calculations. Only the strong survive. His father taught him that. Yet... looking at this little... little creature, who looks so hurt and alone - and Boba _knows_ that she can handle herself, he saw it with his own eyes, but maybe it's the pain in her eyes or how it's the fact that it was her _mother_ who did this to her, but Boba feels some strange emotion he can't quite place or understand. Like a language you haven't spoken in so long, you barely remember the words to. But you know it, it's there, just faded.

"Do you got any other family?"

"Just my parents. Well, the only ones who are alive, that is."

"Why'd you leave?"

The girl chews the inside of her lip, clearly debating something. Boba sighs. "At least... at least let me know if there's anyone coming after you, kid."

"My parents, obviously," she sighs, glancing at him guiltily before finishing with, "and possibly the Empire."

Boba's grateful for his helmet that hides the surprised look that flashes across his face. "What does the Empire want with you?"

"Either they want me dead or back with my parents."

"Why would the Empire give a shit about some runaway child?" The question is harsh but he doesn't really care at this point. It's a legitimate question. 

"Because my parents are both Sith Lords who work for the Empire," the Jedi hisses as Boba feels his whole body go cold.

If the Jedi are bad, the Sith are worse. Cruel, cold, sadistic bastards who don't give a kriffing damn about the world, about anybody, other than their own power. He's done some work before for the Empire and has met the notorious Darth Vader. He watched him choke someone who was dozens of feet away from him. Boba doesn't know much about Siths, but he knows they're trouble, real trouble. 

And now Boba's in deep.


	3. Chapter 3

Iseult

Iseult knew the moment the silence stretched on that this Mandalorian knew _exactly_ who the Sith were. From the way his forearms braced on his thighs to the way his shoulders curled forward just ever so slightly, back straight and tense. 

"You a Sith?" His voice came out harder, so different than the man who had asked her with concern barely evident, but there, in his voice if her home was safe. If _she_ was safe. She felt anger fill inside her again at the thought of the Sith. 

"They raised me to be one but unfortunately for them, the Force has a will of its own."

She knew that was a slightly vague and unhelpful response to his question. Something a Jedi or Sith would understand but a non-Force-sensitive person, not so much. 

"The Kriff that mean?" 

"How much do you know about the Force?"

"I'm asking the questions here, kid."

Iseult sighs. She can't be angry at him for that. This man screams warrior and not just because he's a Mandalorian. A survivor. It makes sense that someone would be cautious of her after she just revealed that her parents are _Sith Lords_ hunting her down with the entire power of the Empire behind them.

"So," she begins, almost feeling like she's giving a lesson, "Jedi and Sith believe that there is a dark and light side of the Force. The Jedi draw on the light side of the Force for peace and tranquility and all that crap -" she waves her hand dismissively and could almost imagine him raising an eyebrow at that, "while the Sith draw on the dark side of the Force using their anger and fear in order to achieve power. However, what both the Jedi and Sith refuse to acknowledge is beliefs held by the Grey Jedi, which I am. The Grey Jedi walk the line between the dark and light side of the force without being corrupted by the dark side. Some even believe that there _is_ no light or dark side of the Force, only the Force. I was born and raised by two Sith Lords but I was never corrupted by the dark side, despite having spent my entire childhood growing up in that. I was unable to be corrupted because my understanding of the Force, and maybe it just has to do with the possibility of being born a Grey Jedi, of being born unable to be corrupted by the dark side and still able to use it. It's... there hasn't been a lot of studies on the Grey Jedi and as far as I know, I'm the only one left. So, I was able to escape because I'm a Grey Jedi, because I couldn't be corrupted. Does this make sense or am I just throwing a bunch of Force theories and nonsense at you?"

The Mandalorian is silent, leaning back in the chair as he, what she assumes, to be thinking over everything she said. "I got the basics," he responds as she nods. "So, let me get this straight. You left your parents because you're a... Grey Jedi?"

"Not exactly. I was _able_ to leave them because I am unable to be corrupted by the dark side of the Force - if it even exists. I _left_ because I don't want to spend my entire life filled with hatred. I don't want vengeance or unlimited power. I just want -" she pauses to take in a deep, shaky breath, "I just want to _live._ And after the Empire destroyed Alderaan, I couldn't stay with them any longer. And then my mother gave me _this_ when I tried to escape." 

She stares at her stomach, smoothing down the surprisingly soft texture of the cotton shirt. The Mandalorian has been silent for so long that she finally looks at him, wondering, _wishing_ to know what he was thinking. "We're still on Tatooine," he finally says, "on my ship. Once you're well enough to leave I can take you to Mos Eisley and get a smuggler to take you to wherever you wish to go," he pauses again. "You... you got anywhere to go, kid? You got any friends or acquaintances who could help?

Iseult lets out a dry, broken laugh that would sound pitiful if she actually cared about that. "I have _no one._ At least, no one alive who gives a shit about me. I don't even know _where_ I would go."

The Mandalorian is quiet for another long, long moment, helmet tilted to the side slightly. "Well, we'll come to that once you're well enough to travel. I'd say you got maybe three more days left until that wound is nothing but a scar. Won't give you pain no more."

He stands up and Iseult can't help but blurt out, "can you at least tell me your name?"

He's quiet again, obviously weighing something in his mind. "Boba Fett," the Mandalorian finally says as comprehension draws upon Iseult. 

No way.

Boba. Kriffing. Fett. 

_He... he_ had saved _her_?

The most feared bounty-hunter in the galaxy. This ghost-story. The stuff of nightmares and legends. People whispered in fear, shaking at the mere thought of him. This... this ferocious, terrifying, cold and heartless bounty-hunter had saved _her_ life, patched her up, changed her into more comfortable clothes, had asked if she was safe, had been... _kind._ Or maybe as kind as he can get. It's enough to make her head spin.

"Well... thank you, Boba. For... for everything," she finishes sort of lamely because how do you even begin to thank someone for saving your life? For taking care of you when all they see is a stranger. 

He nods his head. "I'll get you something to eat and help you sit up."

Iseult lays on the bed in silence, fingers playing with the end of the shirt nervously. She didn't like this. She didn't like being so vulnerable and defenseless. But... but it could be so much worse. She could have been captured by the Empire, sent back to her family, could have been captured by the Rebellion, _kriff,_ she could've been dead. And as terrifying and powerful and strong as Boba can be, he's being surprisingly gentle with her. He doesn't have her bounded, isn't locking her in this room - as far as she knows - but is taking care of her. Maybe it's strange because she's never had anyone patch her up. Her father would when she was much, much younger, but then mother had caught them and that had stopped. Every time she had gotten hurt it had been herself who had to patch her up or some droid. But no one cared for her like this, asked her if she was safe, bandaged her wounds. It felt strange. She didn't know what to think of it. 

A couple of minutes later, the door opens again and Boba walks in with a tray, food on it. He places it on the trunk before walking over to her, hesitating for a moment as she glances up at him. "I gotta pick you up, kid, to get you sitting. You're not gonna shoot lightening at me or anything, huh?"

And _now_ it makes sense why he's been so hesitant and cautious around her. Because he saw her shoot lightening out of her kriffing hands and is worried that she'll do the same that she did to the other guy to him. 

She lets out a laugh, an actual laugh, and even though it's small and slightly breathy, it's still a laugh. "No, I don't think you have to worry about that at the moment."

"At the moment, huh?" He asks as one of his arms go under her knees while the other goes around her back and she can't help but gasp slightly, hand leaping out to grab onto his shoulder, digging into the blade of his armor. 

And then he picks her up as though she weighs nothing. 

He gently places her back down on the bed, pushing her back away from the wall to shove a pillow behind her back. His hand presses on her shoulder, urging her to lean back against the pillow and it's such this strange juxtaposition between the intimidating Mandlorian and the man caring for her. 

"I bet you're hungry," he says, picking up the tray and placing it across her legs, "it's not the nicest shit but I think it'll do."

"It's more than enough, thank you, Boba. Truly."

She watches as he pauses by the door, hesitating for just a moment before turning to face her. "Your name, kid?"

"Iseult Jinn," she says, knowing that maybe it's not the smartest to give her last name but he _did_ give her his. 

Boba

The rest of the day passed by painfully slow. Boba is avoiding her. _The_ Boba Fett, one of the best kriffing bounty hunters in the entire galaxy is avoiding this girl. Logically, it makes good reason to avoid her. Anyone would. The girl, _Iseult_ , a traitorous part of his mind reminds him, was raised by two Sith lords and Boba assumes that she's incredibly powerful. Most people would avoid someone who can shoot kriffing lightening out of their hands. But that's not why Boba's avoiding this girl. No, something much worse. 

He feels... _awkward_ around her. 

Kindness, caring, those things don't come easy to him. They're not in his nature. At least they haven't been for a long, long time. But this... this _girl_ just showed up in his life, a kriffing Jedi or whatever the kriff a Grey Jedi is, a group of people he has sworn himself to hate, and he saves her life. Brings her back to his ship. Patches her up. Takes _care_ of her. And fuck, it was horrible when she thanked him back there. Those big, beautiful bright blue eyes turning to look at him with _gratefulness_ in them, not the urge to shrink away or laced with fear like so many other's eyes are when they see him, but _gratefulness._ _Kindness._

He doesn't like it. Not one bit. Because it makes him not sure how to act around her, makes him feel more aware of his movements, makes him wonder what _she_ thinks of _him_ , makes him feel things he hasn't felt in a long time. Maybe he feels a bit awkward because besides the acquisitions, he's never brought anyone else onto his ship before. And now this _stunning_ _, breathtaking_ woman is sitting in _his_ bed wearing _his_ clothes and Boba resists the urge to groan. 

So much for not being fooled by a pretty face. 

But there was something more, Boba remembers as he attempts to get some shut-eye in his cockpit, rubbing his hand over his face. The girl, Iseult, she reminds Boba of himself, back when he was younger, maybe even a little bit of him now. Being filled with such hate that you don't know what to do with it, feeling as though that the rest of your life is going to be filled with this burning and unending anger and rage for vengeance, and being all alone.

 _I have_ no one _. At least, no one alive who gives a shit about me_ , her sweet but distressed and bitter voice floats through his mind. _Me and you both, huh_? Boba thinks, because when she had said it, images of that day when his father had died, the only person who ever gave a shit about him, who ever _loved_ him was gone had flashed through his mind. And he's spent the rest of his life painfully alone, the sadness and despair over losing his father eating away a hole inside of him. 

So, yeah, maybe it's because he can relate to her that he's not being so cruel, that he brought her food, helped her sit up, bandaged her up. Maybe he just wishes that someone would've taken care of him after his father had died or maybe it's because she reminds Boba of himself. A younger Boba, one who hasn't been twisted into something ugly and spat back out. If Boba really thinks about it, maybe he just doesn't want this girl, Iseult, to turn out like _him._ Despite their different upbringings, their stories are surprisingly similar. 

By the time morning comes, Boba is groaning, stretching because damn was sleeping on that seat uncomfortable. He's done it before and it's never been fun. He cracks his neck before grabbing something quickly to eat and then shoving on his helmet. Boba hesitates in front of the door to his bedroom for a single moment before knocking, hearing a gentle voice tell him to come in. 

His breath is nearly knocked out of him. She's lying in bed, legs twisted up with the sheets, and curly red hair sprawled onto the pillow like some sort of orange halo. It's a sight to behold for sure. A beautiful woman wearing his clothes in his bed, blue eyes bright as she gives him a small smile. And he's just standing there like some idiot.

"Hi," she mumbles, dragging a hand down her face. 

"How you feeling, kid?"

He watches as she chews the inside of her lip for a moment, hands pressing lightly against her stomach. "Good," she responds before grimacing at the weak answer, "well, better than yesterday. I'm not in as much pain."

"Gotta change your patches. You ready for that or need me to come back?"

"No, I'm awake," she says as Boba grabs a chair and places it next to the bed, grabbing the sheets and tugging them off of her body. 

Iseult pulls up her shirt until right under her breasts, revealing her wrapped torso. Boba throws two unopened bacta patches onto the bed next to her legs before slowly unwrapping the wound. They're both quiet for a moment, just staring at her torso, wrap now being chucked into the trash bin. She doesn't grimace as he removes the bandages and the wound looks much better than yesterday, looking much more like a scar now rather than anything else. But still not good enough to kick her out. 

"It looks better," she comments as Boba nods silently. A pause, then, "you're a Mandalorian."

Boba grunts, opening the bacta patch a bit harder than expected. "Never said I was."

"But you wear Mandalorian armor."

"This was my father's armor."

More silence, then, "your father was murdered by a Jedi and yet you saved my life. Why?"

Boba hesitates for a moment, bacta patch hovering over her wound before slowly placing it over. "I got a code. Part of that code means not leaving innocents to die out in the desert."

She snorts. It's cynical and full of a self-hatred Boba knows too well. "I'm hardly innocent," she hisses, biting the words out. 

"Wasn't my place to judge at that time."

As Boba unwraps the second patch, he glances at her, only to see her staring right at him. "No, that's not it. You don't strike me as the kind of man who'd save anyone, especially someone who is your enemy, or a part of a group of people who you see as an enemy. Maybe a small part of it is your code but that's not the real reason. Why'd you save me?"

For someone so young, Boba's surprised at how insightful she is. And he appreciates her no-nonsense attitude. "When I found you, for the most of it you weren't... _there._ You just kept mumbling some mantra but when I got close enough, you grabbed me and told me some... some stuff. Stuff like that the Sith are growing more powerful than the few remaining Jedi left, that there needs to be balance in the Force and that _they're_ \- whoever _they_ are - coming. I didn't understand half of what you said but I figured it was important. It peaked my interest enough to save your life."

The girl was silent for a moment, eyes going towards the ceiling as Boba smoothes the second bacta patch onto her wound. Her eyes are moving slightly, almost as if she's trying to sift through her thoughts and memories to figure out what he had told her. It's only when Boba latches the wrap around her torso that she speaks again. "It must've been a vision sent to me through the Force."

"Of the future?" Boba asks, blown away by the fact that the Jedi and Sith are so powerful that they can see _actual visions._

"Both the Jedi and Sith for thousands of years have been able to see visions of both the past and future through the Force. It's a very rare gift," she pauses for a moment, eyes distant again as she chews the inside of her lip, "I must meditate in order to discover the origins of these visions."

Boba watches as she pushes herself up, arms shaking as she grimaces in pain. Instinctively, Boba reaches out to help her, placing it on her stomach ever so gently. "Easy there, Iseult," he says, pushing her back with his hand to straighten her up as she scoots back in the bed to lean against the wall.

Standing up, Boba watches for a moment as her chest rises and falls with each deep breath she takes. Not knowing what else to say, he starts towards the door but before he can leave the room, he hears her honey-sweet voice call out to him.

"Jinn," she says, voice still a bit strained from the lingering pain. "Call me..." she takes in a deep breath to steady herself, Boba secretly pleased to hear it not shaky. "Call me Jinn."

Boba nods his helmet. "Alright then, Jinn. Don't push yourself too hard, either."

She smirks, eyebrows raising and blue eyes twinkling with slight mischief, "I'm meditating. It's not exactly the most vigorous activity. But... I will take your advice under consideration."

"So, that's a no," Boba says before he can stop himself. 

Her blue eyes widen for a moment, pink lips pulling back to show white teeth as she lets out a laugh. A beautiful unrestrained laugh that sounds as sweet as wind chimes and as gentle as the soothing waves of the sea. It makes Boba feel warm, makes him feel _something_ he hasn't ever felt. Something new. 

"I promise not to push myself too far, but thank you, Boba."

And her smile is so sweet that Boba is shocked that it's possible for someone like her to look that pure still. That someone who has already gone through so much shit can laugh and smile and still semi-function as some normal being seems impossible. But yet it is. And before Boba can do anything else stupid, he nods his helmet before leaving his room, only letting out a deep breath once he's far enough away from her. 

Two more days. 

That's it.

Two more days and then she's out of his life for good. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jinn continues to meditate to try to understand her visions while she and Boba get some unexpected visitors.

Boba

An entire day has passed since Boba's last conversation with Jinn and the girl spent the entire kriffing day meditating. Which left him some time to pull himself together. His father had taught him some very important lessons, a code which Boba still lives by today. 

Trust no one, but use everyone.

No friends, no enemies, only allies and adversaries.

The bounty hunter is free of attachments.

He has them all listed down, although he hasn't needed to look at that list in years, all of it has been saved and memorized. Still, there are some parts of the code Boba should be remembering. He doesn't trust the girl, that's true, but he's being far too kind to her. That doesn't mean that he's going to be nasty to her but if he's too kind, he could get soft, and a big thing his father taught him was never to be soft. 

_But you're kind to me, dad_ , Boba remembers saying to his father. Remembers the way his father's face had softened slightly, frown lines lessening as he had leaned down and brushed some of Boba's hair out of his face. 

_That's because you're_ my son, _ad'ika_ , his father had said back to him.

After his father had died, Boba took his father's code to heart, even adding some of his own in there. His father was the only person Boba ever gave a shit about, the only person he ever had an attachment to, the only person he ever trusted, and he's been dead for twenty-two long years now. So, Boba stopped having attachments to anyone, not that he did before but he _promised_ himself not to. He just needs to remind himself this, to get through this next day or two before he can kick the girl out and be grateful that she's gone before he gets too soft and might make a mistake he doesn't want to make. 

The sound of the door opening gets his attention as he turns around to see Jinn walking out, rubbing her hand down her face before glancing around the ship. Now that she's actually standing Boba can see that she's a taller than most female humans, maybe around 5"10 or so, although still small compared to Boba who's 6"3. He watches as she glances in the opposite direction, still not having noticed him. Jinn runs a hand through her curly orange hair, which is loose now and tumbles over her shoulders and back, ending right under her collarbone. And he hates the part of himself that recognizes that she has a good body, a _really_ nice body. His type, maybe, if he would ever think hard enough about what his type would be. And she looks like she's fit. He could tell when he was changing her bandage that she is. Must be a part of Sith training, maybe. Boba remembers all the Jedi he's met and they all seemed to be made of pure muscle. 

Before he can stare any longer, Boba clears his throat, watching as her hair swirls and blue eyes flicker in surprise before glimmering with recognition. He nods his helmet towards another seat at the table he's sitting at as she casts him a small, grateful smile before walking over and sitting down in the seat across from him. 

"How's the wound?" He asks as she glances down at it for a moment. 

"Better, much better. I don't feel any pain. I was doing some stretches and moving around a bit and it hasn't given me any discomfort."

"Good, you can probably take the bacta patches off now," Boba says as she nods, pulling up his shirt and clutching it in a ball with one hand as she attempts to take the wrap off. She sighs before holding her left hand out, two fingers pointed down as she makes a small circle. Boba's about to ask what she's doing when he watches the wrap begin to unwrap from her body before his very eyes, following the movements of her fingers. "Show off," he mutters, knowing she'll hear, resulting in her beaming at him playfully. 

She waves her hand as the wrap goes flying through the air and right into the trash. Jinn waves her hand as the first bacta patch comes off before flying into the trash can, then does the same with the next. She places her free hand on her stomach, fingers running over the thin but long scar that stretches across her torso, a little higher on her left side and a little lower on her right at both ends. 

"I don't understand," Boba says, reaching out a hand to brush his thumb over her scar, watching her stomach clench slightly, skin surprisingly soft even under his glove. "It should've fully healed."

"It might not work that way with lightsaber wounds," she comments as Boba removes his hand, watching as she drops her hold of his shirt and lets the bottom of it pool in her lap. 

"You ever seen lightsaber wounds before?" Boba asks as she glances away, jaw clenched and eyes hard, blinking a couple of times. 

"Never any that weren't fatal," she grinds out, voice soft and quieter than usual. 

Boba gives her a moment before she glances back down to her lap. "You hungry?"

Jinn gives him a small nod as Boba stands up and makes his way over to the cabinet, able to feel the sadness radiating off of her still. "How... how'd that meditating go?"

"I got... _some_ but Force visions are usually tricky," she's quiet for a moment before saying in a smaller voice, "I saw my parents."

"You did?" Boba asks, placing some food down in front of her as she thanks him. He watches her curiously as he sits back down. 

"They're heading for an ancient Sith temple on Malachor. I recognize the temple, I've been there before. They're..." she pauses, squinting again as if she's trying to see the visions herself, "they're stepping on a stone... opening a door in the wall. And beyond that -" she shrugs, "flashes. Images. Nothing concrete enough. But I'm not surprised. I'm no longer accessing the Force through my hatred, anger, and fear. It'll take some... adjustment."

"What's at that temple?"

Jinn glances up at Boba, giving him a serious look. "There _used_ to be a Sith superweapon that had the power to petrify living beings," her pink lips pull into a smirk, "but that's been dealt with."

"What do you mean?"

"I destroyed it, six months ago. My parents sent me on a mission to see if it was a possibility to use since it requires a giant kyber crystal to power the device. So, I went, and used the force to destroy it. When I went back, I told my parents that it had already been destroyed three years prior in a scuffle between some Jedi and Sith," she sighs loudly, pushing her empty plate away, "which means that if they're going to the temple, they either doubt my story or they believe that there is something else being held at that temple. I will need to speak with my grandfather about this."

"I thought you said you didn't have any family left alive."

"He's not," she says as though it answers the question.

"Then how do you 'speak' with him?"

Jinn leans back in her seat, analyzing him for a long moment, as if she's debating telling him something or not. "The Sith have always tried to chase after their true idea of unlimited power: eternal life. They wanted it with a physical form, though. My grandfather, who was a powerful and knowledgeable Jedi knight, was able to discover the real truth. It's an eternal consciousness. We call it a Force ghost, or at least that's what I call it. I don't know how many are aware of this possibility. Basically, what a Force ghost is is that it's the soul and essence of a deceased Force-sensitive person who has denied the will of the Force upon death, yet is able to interact with the living. They take on the body they had when they passed and are blue and sorta glow."

Boba feels as though his head is spinning. Jinn lets out a small laugh. "Too much Force jargon in one day?" 

"Yeah, maybe," Boba comments as Jinn lets out another small laugh. 

"Anyways," she says, sighing as she relaxes into the back of her chair, looking the most at-ease he's seen her this entire time. "What about you? What's there to know about the great Boba Fett?"

His back straightens slightly, muscles tightening as Jinn lazily raises her hand. "Please, I have no interest in betraying you. You saved my life and have taken care of me these past few days. It would be in poor taste for me to betray you."

Boba's silent for a moment, knowing that she's speaking the truth. A part of his mind is screaming at him to just say no, to not tell her anything else about him, to not let her anymore into his world than he already has. Instead, he leans back in his seat, and says, "you can ask, but I might not answer."

"Fair enough," she says with a shrug and Boba is still momentarily surprised by her personality which is starting to show. His interactions with the girl before this have been her either shouting at him, looking terrified, or being in pain. She looks more comfortable and seems to be a fairly confident person. She has a bit of playfulness to her, seems like a sarcastic person, someone who wouldn't flinch at the kind of life Boba lives and sees, maybe because her own life has been so similar. Yet... she also looks like she could be calm, too, analytical, calculating, cunning, an intelligent warrior. Someone who would thrive working in the Guild. He won't let himself go down that road, though.

"I'll go easy, first. How old are you?"

Boba blinks at the question for a moment before responding with, "thirty-two."

She taps her fingers on the table twice. "So, you're not that much older than me, huh?"

 _She_ is _a little cocky_ , Boba thinks to himself, only realizing after that he's smirking under that helmet of his. "And how old are you?"

"Twenty-two," she responds as Boba raises an eyebrow. Wow, she's so _young._ Definitely not a kid anymore, but maybe it's just because she acts older, perhaps because she was forced to due to her upbringing, that Boba had assumed that she was a bit older.

"Ten years isn't exactly 'not that much older.'"

Jinn looks like she wants to argue and debate his comment but smartly decides against it. "Why'd you become a bounty hunter?"

"This gonna be like twenty questions, huh?"

"Please," she scoffs, "I'm not _that_ obnoxious. I don't exactly meet a lot of people who aren't Sith or Empire. Don't know the last time I actually had a conversation with someone who was worth having a conversation with." 

Boba can't help but feel flattered, only to realize that you only ever feel flattered if you _care_ about what someone thinks of you. Not good. It _would_ be better not to answer the question. But instead, "my father was a bounty hunter."

"Your father was the clone template, right?"

 _Now_ they're getting into tricky territory because most people don't actually _see_ Boba's father as his father. They just claim Boba's another clone when that couldn't be further from the truth. His father had asked for him, unaltered, because he wanted to raise him as a son. Because his father was a Mandalorian and children are considered sacred by the Mandalorians. No, they just see him as another clone. Which makes Boba all the more angry about it. 

Suddenly, the sound of someone knocking on Boba's ship gets both of their attention. "Down!" Boba hisses as Jinn drops to the ground. He walks a couple of steps behind the table to the wall, placing his palm against it as a floor panel pops up from the floor with a soft and gentle _click._ "Down there, now!"

"But what about -"

"I'll be fine, little one, just get down there now!" Boba hisses as Jinn nods, crawling on the floor before lowering herself down into the hidden compartment. Once she's safely under, he slams his hand against the wall again as the floor panel goes back into place. 

Boba walks over to another panel and lowers the entry ramp, raising the blaster in his hand as he waits for the ramp to lower. As soon as it does and he sees who is waiting outside, his breath catches in his throat.

Jinn

Jinn glances around in the semi-darkness, a small bit of light lines the wall of the small hidden compartment she's in. It's long enough to fit a person lying down and she can tell that it's been used at least one since there are some blankets, a pillow, and some items shoved into bags. 

"What do you want?" She hears Boba's voice call out to the guests, can hear the warning in it. 

"We're looking for someone who might've gone missing around here. Can we check your ship?"

"Why would I want a bunch of stormtroopers on my ship?" Boba asks, voice hard as Jinn claps a hand over her mouth, realizing that he's giving her a hint.

"Don't be like that. We promise we won't mess anything up... unless there's a reason you don't want us on your ship."

Boba's sigh is audible. "Just get it over with quickly. I need to head out soon to follow up on a lead about my acquisition."

The sound of footsteps echo over Jinn's head as she tries to calm her breathing. She can't think of anything else other than the fear that is pounding through her ears, her mind screaming, blood pumping, and stomach swooping. If they catch her, she doesn't know if she'll be able to escape again. Not before they would drag her back to her parents who would either kill her or make sure that she never escapes again. 

"Don't give into fear," a familiar voice says as she covers her mouth before a startled gasp can leave it. Jinn's grandfather is sitting across from her, a calm smile on his face as she glares at him. The glow from him lights up the small compartment a little more. "Don't worry, they can't hear me."

 _Why are you here?_ Jinn thinks. 

"To remind you not to let fear overtake you. You're not a Sith anymore. You don't have to rely on fear as your reason for survival."

 _So, what? I can never be afraid?_ She thinks, curling in on herself slightly as she hears the stormtroopers right above her, one of their voices telling Boba to get out of the way. 

"No, and you shouldn't aspire to never be afraid. All living beings experience fear. It is only natural for you to experience fear. But don't draw your powers from it."

_Why does it matter where I draw my power from? I'm a Gray Jedi, I can't be corrupted by the dark side._

"You can be corrupted in more ways than one, my young granddaughter," Jinn's head snaps up at him, surprised, but all too aware that he's telling the truth. "Those emotions, fear, anger, hatred, while they'll never allow the dark side to corrupt you, they can corrupt your view on life. They can make you reject a helping hand, can make you miserable, can make you forgo all goodness in the world in favor of only seeing the bad. You left the Sith, the Empire, and your parents so that you were no longer filled with hatred and fear. I _want you_ to live a life worth living, Jinn. I want you to be able to find peace and to be happy, to live the life you _want_ to live. You deserve all the happiness in the world. Don't let your past and the lessons your parents taught you to deprive you of having a better life."

A tear slips down Jinn's cheek before she can stop herself. _Thank you_ , she thinks in barely more than a whisper. _For having faith, for believing in me when no one else has._

"Find your people, Jinn and when you find those who love and respect you as much as I do, hold onto them tightly and don't let go. Live a good life, one worth living. And remember, _calm your mind._ " Jinn nods, feeling her grandfather reach out to wipe her tear away. "And might I say, I do approve of the name change. It suits you."

She gives him a smile, a _real_ smile, wishing that she could laugh. Then, her stomach drops when she hears the _thunk_ of something hitting the floor followed by a, "what's this, huh? A lightsaber?"

Dread flows through her. _Oh no._

"What are you doing with a lightsaber, Fett?"

"Stole it from a Jedi who tried to protect my acquisition a couple of years back," he lies smoothly. 

Jinn closes her eyes, taking in a deep breath before opening them. Thoughts are pinging through her mind, flying all over the place as she wills them to calm, to calm herself, her thoughts, and her breathing. She stretches out with her feelings, feeling the Force flow through her and can identify her grandfather through the Force, the reassuring feeling of him just across from her. And then she feels it. Her thoughts slowing down, breathing evening out, and a feeling of at peace that she hasn't felt before. When she opens her eyes, her grandfather is smiling at her. He gives her a small nod of his head in approval, letting her know she's on the right track, before patting a sack next to her. 

"Good luck, and remember, _calm your mind._ I love you, Jinn."

And then he's gone. Jinn opens the bag to see within it, her two Force-imbued swords, glowing a light grey, bringing in even more light so that the darkness is not so devouring anymore. 

"Here's the second one," another stormtrooper says as she hears them raising their blasters, readying them. 

"Give us the girl, Fett. We have no quarrel with you."

"As I already said, I _don't_ know who you're talking about. No one is here with me."

"Look for the girl, tear this bloody ship apart if you have to."

"Hey! Watch where you're pointing those blasters!" She hears Boba shout. 

Jinn waits until she hears the sound of boots right above her, adjusting her grip on her swords before using the Force to open the panel in the floor, causing it to fly all the way to the ceiling, squashing the stormtrooper. She takes in a deep breath, centering herself and calming her mind before jumping out, spinning her swords through the air to deflect the blaster bolts. When she lands on the floor, she can almost feel the way it reverberates throughout the ship. The stormtroopers are silent for a moment, shock overtaking them, but not for long.

"It's her! Fire!" A stormtrooper shouts as she spins her swords, deflecting blaster shots as some bounce back, hitting the stormtroopers as they go down and don't move. 

Jinn tosses one sword into the air, spinning in circles, thrusting her free hand out as five stormtroopers are pushed back by the Force and then thrown out onto the entry ramp. Her hand opens a moment later, catching the sword without missing a beat as she dodges the rest of the firepower, knocking down one, two, three, four, then five stormtroopers, her blades cutting right through their armor. Jinn marches off of the ship, back straight and mind calm. The ones that she threw out of the ship are standing again, blasting her as she swings her swords through the air, blocking the bolts. She throws her sword at one of them, watching as it drives through the stormtrooper as they fly backwards, landing on the ground. Reaching out with her free hand, her father's lightsaber zooms into her hand as she ignites it, hearing the gentle hum. 

She drops to the ground, sliding on her calves before kicking one leg out, knocking down a stormtrooper and then driving her lightsaber through his armor. Two run closer to her as she whirls her sword and lightsaber through the air, both cutting through their armor. There's only seven left but she easily dodges and deflects the blaster bolts, knocking down two more before turning to face the rest of them. But before she can deflect another bolt, she hears the sound of a blaster going off and watches as two stormtroopers are knocked down. She whips her head around, red hair twirling from the movement, to see Boba standing there, blaster in his hand. Another stormtrooper runs at her as two run back towards the ship, which she can see in the distance. She blocks the blaster bolts before cutting off his hand and then driving her sword and lightsaber through him. When she pulls them out, she sees the two last stormtroopers clambering into their ship. 

Breathing in, she closes her eyes and feels the Force around her, in everything, and flowing through her. As she opens her mind, she feels her mind focused in a way that anger never could. There's a calmness that's there now as she drops her lightsaber to the ground, reaching out her hand as her other sword flies out of the stormtrooper and into her awaiting her, blood dripping from it. She calls upon the Force as she feels lightening begin to spark in her hands as she wills it down the swords, seeing the blue bolts crackle around the swords. Jinn swings the swords up in the air as she hears the sound of the ship turning on before thrusting down as they connect with the ground. Two Force lightening bolts zip across the ground, zooming towards their destination as they hit the ship, causing it to combust into flames. 

Besides the sound of broken pieces of ship crashing to the ground, it's surprisingly silent. Jinn turns towards Boba, who's just staring at the broken ship. Then, his helmet turns towards her and he walks over, not saying a word until he's right in front of her. The two glance at the ship again. 

"Well, looks like I didn't have to worry about you not being able to defend yourself," he muses as she drives the tip of one of her swords into the dirt, opening her hand as her grandfather's lightsaber zooms back into it. Jinn tucks her lightsaber into the pocket of her pants before removing her sword from the ground. 

Jinn looks at Boba, who's emotions she cannot read or understand even through the Force, his helmet making it so much more difficult to try to discern what he's feeling or thinking. "We should get out of here before more come looking," she says.

Boba nods his helmet as Jinn makes a quick movement with her head, tilting it to the side slightly as the five bodies of the dead stormtroopers in Boba's ship come flying out and land next to the rest of the dead stormtroopers. Boba simply stares at Jinn for a moment, either surprised or maybe thinks she's a bit of a show off, no idea, before nodding. 

"Sounds smart. Alright, let's get out of here. I'll take you to Mos Eisley and we can find a smuggler for you to get you off of Tatooine."

Jinn pauses for just a moment. _Oh._ Right. She's now going to find a new planet to make her home and while that would've made her hopeful and excited at the thought when she was first leaving, of all those years she dreamed of finding her own place and living her own life, now... now she doesn't really know if she wants to leave. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jinn and Boba arrive in Mos Eisley to find Jinn a smuggler to get her out

Jinn

The two don't say a word to each other as they make the quick flight over to Mos Eisley, Boba landing the ship easily. But once the ship has landed, they stay like that for a moment, still sitting in their seats in the cockpit, not making eye contact with each other. Jinn shifts slightly in her seat, unsure of what to do or what to say. Does she even _want_ to go? She doesn't think she does and maybe, _maybe_ it's just because he's the first person who's ever really shown her any true kindness, the first person who ever really cared for her, protected her. She's never had anyone like that in her life who's alive and despite how she barely knows him, despite how she's only known him for a couple of days, she's not really sure if she wants to give that up. And she can't decide if that's pathetic, sad, or just honest. Maybe a little bit of all three. 

"I'm sorry," she says in a rush, what she's been wanting to say to him for the entire ride finally leaving her mouth, voice strained as she glances at him, brows furrowed together and blue eyes full of regret.

She watches as Boba tilts his helmet towards her and is silent for a moment, analyzing her. "What do you have to be sorry for?"

"If it wasn't for me you wouldn't have had to deal with all that. If it wasn't for me they wouldn't have boarded your ship and if it wasn't for me and my stupidity you wouldn't have had to -"

"Hey," he says gently but firmly, placing a gloved hand on her shoulder, " _breathe._ "

Jinn's chest rises as she takes a deep, shaky breath before letting it out. "I know that the last thing anyone wants, _especially_ a bounty hunter, is to get into a scuffle with the Empire -" if you can even call what just happened a 'scuffle,' "and - _Boba_ , I mean, what if they're onto you now?"

"They're not," Boba assures her as Jinn looks away with a scoff. Then, surprisingly, she feels his gloved hand wrap around her chin and turn her face towards him. Her stomach swoops at the contact but... it's not from fear, no. It's... it's something new. Something unidentifiable that she hasn't ever felt before. So, she lets him. Stupidly, she reaches up with one hand to grab his fingers and he allows for his hand to drop into hers, letting her thumb brush across his gloved fingers. 

"What do you mean they're not?" Jinn whispers to his fingers. 

"I don't know how much you heard back there when the stormtroopers were onboard but they told me that they were only checking my ship because I was nearby the area of your crash."

"Still," Jinn murmurs, brushing her thumb across his fingers again as she actually hears him _inhale_ , quick and deep and for some reason, she can't help but feel a bit of pride at that. Noticing her stomach to doing that strange swooping sensation again, heart rate spiking for a moment before she wills it to calm until it's smooth and steady. But... it feels _good._ Whatever _this_ is. This emotion. It feels good despite the slight nervous energy that it holds. And she knows how big of a deal it is for a man like Boba to be letting her just... hold his fingers, not even the whole hand, just the fingers. The thought makes her feel a bit warm and it's all so strange. "If it wasn't for me you wouldn't have had to deal with this mess."

"That may be true," Boba says, now turning over her hand to brush his thumb across her fingers and now it's _her_ turn to inhale, shoulders rising with a shaky breath, feeling them release slowly. "But I chose to save you, alright? I knew you were in some sort of trouble coming from an Imperial escape pod but I still chose to save you anyways."

"I can never thank you enough for that," Jinn whispers, slightly hypnotized by the little dance that their fingers are playing. Finally, she glances up at Boba to see him already looking at her and it feels like her breath has been _ripped_ from her body. "You saved my life, healed me, took care of me, and protected me when you had no reason to. Actually, when you had a very solid reason to leave me stranded on the sands of Tatooine, but you didn't. You saved me. I'm forever grateful, Boba, truly." She can feel Boba squeeze her hand before letting it go as hers uselessly drops onto her lap. She can feel the loss of his hand in a most peculiar way. Jinn has no idea what's going on with her, what these... _feelings_ she's experiencing are. She makes a mental note to meditate on these emotions at a later point. "I owe you my life debt."

"I don't want it," Boba says firmly and just as the beginning of hurt is starting to form in Jinn, Boba corrects himself. "I mean -" he clears his throat, "what I mean is that I don't want you to feel indebted to me. I didn't save your life for you to be in my debt. I saved your life because... because well... I couldn't just leave you there. You were an innocent at the time, it's against my code to leave you to die." Right. "I don't regret it and I don't want you to be indebted to me. You have your life, make sure it's a good one."

Jinn swallows, feeling a lump somewhere in her throat but before she can say another word Boba is unbuckling and telling her they should head out to go find her a smuggler. The two leave the ship, Jinn having put on her grey cloak, her leather sword straps, with both swords sheathed and pressed against her back, and her lightsaber belt, the two attached and hanging against her hip and thighs. She had asked Boba where he wanted his clothes but he had told her firmly from his seat to keep them, just in case.

 _Just in case you're a bit short on credits while you start your new life wherever it is you choose to go,_ he had said to her. _Also, I don't think you have any clothes that don't scream Jedi_ , he had added, which is absolutely true. 

So, now they're walking through Mos Eisley with her in her Jedi clothes, all of which are shades of grey and altered so that it's not the traditional Jedi robes nor the traditional Sith robes. Maybe her own unique take. But as comfy as Boba's clothes are, they're too big for her to comfortably walk around in outside since she prefers having clothes that are a bit more tapered to her body since it makes it easier to move - and fight. Her thoughts are still swimming and she feels slightly nervous. 

The moment they enter the cantina, the noise of shouts and laughter assault Jinn's ears. Everything's so loud and raucous, patrons all throughout the cantina at bars and booths. However, as Boba begins to walk into the cantina, the two of them get a second glance - and a third. Jinn watches with surprise as two Rodians nearly jump out of Boba's way, scurrying past him and casting her a cautious look. While Boba is most certainly an intimidating sight to behold, with his battered Mandalorian armor, his infamous reputation no doubt helping in making him an even more terrifying figure, Jinn recognizes a moment later that some of the people are staring at _her_ in fear. Maybe it's because she's walking with in Boba or maybe it's because she might herself seem a daunting, dangerous individual. Certainly the hood over her head and the swords sheathed at her back don't help in making her look more approachable and amiable. 

She follows Boba all the way into a booth tucked into the back where a human male is sitting. He has tan skin, black hair and black eyes, which follow their movements as Boba nods his helmet at the man, stopping at the table. The human's eyes flick towards Jinn, eyes traveling up and down her body for the briefest moment that make the hairs stand up on the back of her neck and her to feel slightly uncomfortable. But she doesn't let it show. Keeping an impassive face. However, his eyes look away a moment later to only fall on Boba's hand, which has placed itself on top of his blaster, still holstered at his side, but the threat is clear enough. 

"Fett, it's been some time. How have things been?" The human asks, voice smooth although his eyes go back and forth between Jinn and Boba, most likely trying to figure out their story. He's smart, cunning, and analytical. Jinn can tell. Good traits for a smuggler. He gestures with his hand for the two to sit down and a moment later they side into the booth.

"I didn't come here to make small talk, Bavarik," Boba cuts across, voice harsh, demeanor changed into something smooth and calm but the way he holds himself _screams_ predator. So different than the Boba who changed her bandages, asked if she was okay, if she was safe. 

The human, Bavarik, holds his hand out to gesture for the two of them to sit. "What do you need?" He asks, back straightening and suddenly becoming all business. 

"I need you to smuggle someone to Sanctuary."

Bavarik lets out a sigh, leaning back in his seat as his eyes flick to Jinn. Right, Sanctuary. A small, island-dotted oceanic planet in Mon Calamari Space. It's one of the oldest and most well-known Rebel Alliance safe world colonies. _Sanctuary?_ Boba wanted Jinn to go to _Sanctuary?_ Where the Rebellion was. Where Rebellion _troops_ were. As if Boba could sense Jinn's hesitation, he reaches under the table and squeezes the muscle just above Jinn's knee once in reassurance before letting go. 

"That'll cost you," Bavarik says as Jinn can hear the irritated sigh come from Boba, the modulator making it sound rougher than how Jinn imagined it would sound. Gentle, maybe smooth, or maybe rough. She could never fully tell. But she always imagined it gentle. At least with her. 

"How much?"

"10,000 at least," Bavarik says smoothly as Boba sighs again, this time sounding rougher. "It depends on the passenger I'm smuggling -" his eyes flick to Jinn's, "and, dank farrik, Fett, Sanctuary? The journey's dangerous."

"Doesn't matter how dangerous it is. You're supposed to be one of the best in the business. So, can you do it? Or are you just all talk, Bavarik?"

Bavarik sighs, clearly thinking something over in his head, eyes glazing over in thought as he stares absentimedmly at the table. After a moment, he glances up at Boba, "I need to talk to my crew," he stands up, eyes going between the two of them again, "wait here. I'll be back in thirty minutes. If you leave this spot, then I'll assume that you no longer wanna smuggle miss mysterious pretty face outta here. So, if you want her to come with me, you two stay. If you don't, then go. But I'm not going to track you two down if I get back here and you're not there. So, you better be pretty sure by the time I get back, alright?"

Boba nods his head. "Sounds fair."

With a shake of his head, Jinn watches as he walks away, hearing him mutter _Sanctuary_ followed by another shake of his head before disappearing. Jinn places her hand on the table, tapping it with her fingers absentmindedly as the two sit there in silence. After maybe five minutes of this, she finally glances at Boba, wishing that she could try to understand what he was thinking, how he's feeling. But instead, she gets nothing. 

Boba

Boba resists the urge to sigh. 10,000 credits is a lot, but he can afford it. Bavarik isn't asking too much. Well, _all_ smugglers ask too much but for Sanctuary, and most likely because it's Boba Fett who's asking him, Bavarik has lowered his price a bit. _Smart man_ , Boba thinks. But then again, that _is_ why he brought Jinn to Bavarik. He can't have her get caught. If anyone can get away with smuggling someone to Sanctuary and go completely under the radar, it's Bavarik. The thought of her making that dangerous journey, though, causes his stomach to twist and churn nervously. But the feeling that she's actually leaving feels a bit more somber than he expected. He feels... well, Boba's feeling a lot of emotions that he's not used to. Anger, rage, ferocity, sadness, calm, cool, those feelings, yes, but anxiety? And... and someone else he's not really ready to touch on just yet. He won't have to soon.

"I can feel the conflict within you," Jinn says, voice honey-sweet and still as soft as usual. Boba's head snaps up at that, finally glancing at her. He barely knows the girl, but for some reason he feels _attached_ to her. And it'd be smarter to let her go. It really would. But he doesn't know if he wants to. Of course, it's her choice at the end of the day, and Boba knows how badly she wants to start over, start a new life free of hatred and anger and fear, free of her parents and the Empire. "Are you concerned about the passage?"

Boba shakes his helmet, trying to squash down the fighting emotions that are clawing up inside him. He should just _let her go._ It would be better, for everyone. But when was the last time someone looked so at ease talking with him, who actually wanted to get to know _him_ for who _he is_ , who would laugh in front of him that wasn't malicious, who _trusted him_ enough to let him take care of them when they were at their most vulnerable?

He clears his through, again feeling that _awkwardness_ which is usually so foreign to him. "I know that Sanctuary is a Rebel planet but it's the safest planet in the entire galaxy. If there's any place that's going to be safe for you it'll be Sanctuary. Are you... are you alright with that?"

Boba watches as Jinn chews the inside of her lip, fingers tapping against the table, as she looks anywhere but him. "I mean... yeah, it'll be... it'll be nice to be safe and... and you're right, if anywhere's safe from the Empire and my parents it'll be Sanctuary."

"Good," Boba clears his throat, "I'm glad. I'm sure you'll be happy there. You can start that new life you've been talking about so much."

"Right," she nods, the words harsher than Boba expected, looking thoroughly unconvinced. Boba knows that something is wrong with her or bothering her at the very least but he doesn't know _what._ Usually he's so much better at reading people. He watches as she glances at the clock, showing that they have twenty minutes left. 

_Right,_ he thinks, _she probably just can't wait to get out of here._

So, he says nothing. He should, he really _should_ be spending these last couple of minutes talking to her, trying to just _speak_ with her, burn the sound of her voice into his brain and memorize the way she laughs, but he doesn't because he just _can't._ And she doesn't seem to be wanting to talk to him either. Finally, Boba glances at the clock so see that twenty-five minutes has passed. Only five more minutes until she leaves. He looks at her, noticing that a few orange curls fall out of her braid, framing her fair face, pink lips, freckles, and bright blue eyes. It might be a bit hard at first, to have someone who he has actually let a bit into his world leave him but it'll get better, over time. Kriff, it's not like he's in love with her or anything, it's not like they're even friends. But she was the first person in a long time who he had connected with on some level. 

"Don't go," Boba blurts out before he can stop himself. Jinn's head whips towards him, bright blue eyes wide as Boba curses himself. "I mean - _dank farrik_." _Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck._ What does he even do now? How does he even salvage this? "It's your choice," he corrects himself. "I'm not trying to pressure you into anything. I just... I just want what's best for you," and that's the most honest, open thing he's said in a long, long time. 

She's silent for so long that Boba glances at her, only to see her mouth slightly ajar in surprise. "Do you not - Boba, do you not _want_ me to go?"

"It's your choice."

"Yeah, but what do _you_ want?"

Boba shakes his head. "It's not about - kriff, Jinn, it's not about what I want, it's about what you want."

"Yeah, but I want to know what _you_ want, Boba. Do you... do you _want_ me to stay? With you, I mean? Would you -" she glances away for a moment with a sigh before looking back at him, "do _you_ want me to stay with _you_? And don't give me none of that kriffing shit about what I want. Just answer the damn question, Boba."

"I want you to stay," he gets out before he can stop himself, "with me, I mean. But only if that's what you want. You want to stay, you can stay. You want to go, you can go. It's your choice at the end of the day."

And Boba's really thinking that he's made a mess of things now, but it's not going to matter because in less than three minutes she'll be leaving and out of his life for good. But then, slowly, a smile spreads across her face, larger and wider and brighter than he's ever seen and she's now _beaming_ at him and it rips the air from his very lungs. "Yeah, yeah, I'd like to stay, Boba."

Something, like some nocturnal creature that's been asleep for far too long raises its head, blinking its eyes curiously, rises inside of him. But whatever this emotion is he quickly locks it down. He nods his helmet, muttering a, "come on, let's get out of here before Bavarik comes back."

The two stand up and make their way through the cantina, back to Boba's ship. And he's wondering what they do now, where they go from here when the half-formed idea he had last night suddenly hits him like a brick. Oh. It makes so much _sense._ It might be dangerous and difficult and not the easiest life but she would _thrive_ working there. And anyways, Boba figures that she's never been one for a stationary life. 

"So, you got a plan for me or are we just winging it?" Jinn asks, voice slightly playful as she glances at Boba. 

Boba turns to face Jinn, the two standing in the middle of the street. "How'd you like to become a bounty hunter?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boba helps Jinn find someone who can create a new identichip for her and makes her an offer. Jinn sees Boba without his helmet on for the first time.

Jinn

"So, where exactly are we headed?" Jinn asks as she follows Boba, who weaves effortlessly through the crowded streets of Mos Eisley. 

"To get you a new identity. In order to even be considered getting a spot in the Guild you'll need identification and something to keep track of your captures."

"You mean like acquisitions?"

"Exactly. There are four requirements for joining the Bounty Hunter's Guild. First, you gotta be sponsored by at least one existing member of the Guild, which you've already got covered since I'll be sponsoring you. Second, you must pay an evaluation fee of 750 credits. Third, you must have a minimum of five confirmed captures, with bounty payouts totaling at least 20,000 credits. And fourth, you gotta survive the initiation test."

"Initiation test?"

"I'll explain everything later once we're not in public," Boba pauses outside a mechanic shop, the sound of buzzing machines as half a dozen people milled about inside working on speeders. 

Jinn follows Boba as he walks straight through, past the workers and half-fixed speeders until he gets to the back, where a beautiful woman is sitting behind a tan, stony counter. Her fingers are tapping absentmindedly on the counter, eyes glazed, although she considerably perks up when she sees Jinn and Boba heading over. As beautiful as she is, with plump lips and tanned skin, her dark brown eyes were sharp, cunning and alert, even as bored as she looks. Her dark brown hair is pushed back from her face by large and complex looking goggles of some kind. A trimmed eyebrow raises when she notices Boba, eyes quickly grazing his body in which she was most definitely looking for weapons, before doing the exact same time to Jinn. Although, when she stops taking in Jinn's weapons, her brows furrow when she looks at her face.

"I'm looking to install a u-trip 225X afterburners on my grandfather's speeder," Boba says smoothly as the woman's eyes go between Jinn and Boba again before nodding. 

"Your pretty little friend coming or she staying outside?" The woman asks, voice harsh and brittle, eyes narrowing cautiously. 

"She's coming," Boba growls out, clearly a warning, as the woman rolls her eyes but gestures with her head for the two to follow.

Hanging from behind the counter are lines of jewels - most likely fake - scattering down like a waterfall, hung from the doorframe, blocking the entrance to the back room. The woman pushes them aside as they tinkle, like chimes or coins, the real kind, so rare except in the Outer Rim, falling to the ground. The back room is small, dusty and cramped. There is a large wooden table taking up most of the space with a bunch of gadgets and machines. The color inside the room is of a deep orange and red sunset, not like the bright yellow and white of the sunrise like many rooms with proper lighting are. Or, maybe that giant fucking light hanging above her table might be bright enough to light this dingy room up if only it was turned on.

The woman sits down in a stool, sighing as she crosses her arms. "Who's the identichip for?"

"Her," is all Boba says as the woman nods again, suddenly becoming all business like. She drags from the table a datapad and a small datapad pen, tapping it once to wake the pad up, the blue light of the pad shows dark circles under her eyes and she suddenly looks older and more weary. 

"What are you looking for?"

"Something that'll make no one look twice. It needs to look legitimate, Vazar," Boba says as the woman, Vazar, shoots him a sharp look. 

"Boba -" Jinn feels Boba tense beside her at the sound of his name coming out of Vazar's mouth, "I'm the best in my profession in the whole Outer Rim. You want someone better, go elsewhere. Maybe Coruscant," her smile twists into something vicious, "I hear the best in the entire business is there," eyes flash maliciously as they flick towards Jinn, "unless... you need to avoid the Empire. This pretty girl of yours get into some trouble with the Empire?"

Jinn feels a slight flicker of anger burst through her because the _nerve_ of this woman but then she realizes a moment later that she could beat this woman easily in a duel. Then, as soon as she realizes that, she recognizes that that's not the sort of thoughts that she should be focusing on anymore. How did Jedi even _do_ this? Just let people insult them and their... whatever Boba is to her in front of them and not have them want to use the Force choke on them? That's a new level of restraint. And Jinn needs to learn that restraint. To go towards peace and serenity, balance, instead of hatred and anger. A hard task to do when you've been raised to think that hatred, anger, and fear is what leads to power instead of peace, serenity. Emotions can exist and she should acknowledge them, but not let them overwhelm her. A hard task, but not an impossible one.

Boba's silent for so long that Jinn glances at him only to see that he's looking at Vazar, _glaring_ , she thinks he might be doing but can't tell because of his helmet. He takes one step forward, then another, looking far more intimidating than Jinn has ever seen him. 

"You threaten her, you threaten me. We clear?" Boba says because Jinn is starting to discern that Boba Fett is a man of few words and with others, a man of very few words. After seeing him interact with just two people she's surprised that she's been able to hold conversations with him for as long as she has. Vazar visibly swallows, eyes widening as she realizes that Boba's serious. "And if you ever call me by my first name again I'll break both of your arms."

Jinn blinks in surprise, not that she thinks he was being too aggressive because that behavior and those types of threats are normal for Bounty Hunters to make and a threat considered to be far too forgiving by the Sith, but she's just so astonished because _she's_ been calling him by his first name this entire time. Vazar barely holds in her gasp, having to choke on it instead of having it fall past her lips. She takes in a deep breath before straightening her back, looking much more mellow but back to her business demeanor as she nods. 

"Understood. Now, you said an identichip that'll make no one look twice, I can do that. Anything in particular you want or specific changes?"

Boba turns his head to look at Jinn for a moment, not because he's asking her what she wants but because he's debating what changes to make. She doesn't mind, she'd rather him do it because she's got no idea how to even begin at making a fake but very realistic identichip. It's not exactly something they teach at Sith school. Jinn keeps her expression calm and straight as Boba's helmet tips all the way down so he's looking at her toes and then all the way up so that he's looking at the top of her head. He's taking everything in, trying to figure out what identification and background is best for her. Jinn can feel the anger radiating from Vazar through the Force and nearly smirks, but her lips curve into a small smile as if to ask Boba _enjoying yourself?_ And she can tell he gets what she's alluding to by the tip of helmet to the side slightly before giving a subtle nod. And she nearly _laughs_ and can feel his amusement through the Force. It's getting easier to sense what his emotions are through the Force now. He's still highly difficult to read, but it seems like the more time she spends with him the easier it gets. 

"Make her twenty-four, same height at 5"10, born on Coruscant -" and Jinn's head snaps to him because she _knows_ Coruscant might get a second look twice but she also realizes that he might be doing it because she had told him yesterday when he had asked about her grandfather that he was born and raised on Coruscant. Because, he might realize that the name she creates can't be drawn from her grandfather at all because that would give it away, give away who _she_ was, even if it had only 'Qui' or 'Gon' or another spelling of 'Jinn,' since her parents could identify it easily enough. Boba's head turns towards her and gives her a small nod to confirm it and she can't help but feel a sudden rush of _gratefulness_ because most people aren't that considerate and it... well, it means a lot. She gives him a small, genuine smile, Vazar either not noticing or choosing to, most likely the former, as she types away on her datapad, eyes glued to the blue screen. "You can do whatever you want with the rest except for two things."

"Which are?"

"She's to be shown as her last known occupation to be working for the mercenary group Black Sun," Boba explains as Vazar lowers her datapad slightly.

"I thought all of the Black Sun got turned to dust when Alderaan exploded."

"Exactly," Boba says as _oh_ , _smart, smart man._ Being a mercenary for a well-known group would make it easier for Jinn to join the Guild and be taken more seriously and to choose one where all the members were blown to nothing means that there isn't anyone to deny her not being part of their group. 

"And the other?"

"I'll get back to you with that in a moment," Boba sats before gesturing with his helmet for him and Jinn to step outside. 

The two put a bit of distance between themselves and the door to the back room. Jinn casts a cautious glance at Boba, wondering what he wants to discuss with her about her new identichip. She tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear, raising an eyebrow to silently urge Boba to speak. Then, some thought worms its way into her brain, reminding her that _she_ has been calling Boba by his first name this entire time and he's never had any problem with it. But she curses herself because she's already _had_ this thought but for some reason it keeps forcing its way into her mind.

"So, there are two options we can do for your last name. My plan is to make you a member of the Black Sun mercenary group. That'll get you the respect you need to get seriously considered for the Guild and explain how you're so good at fighting. Now, we have two options for your surname. There are pros and cons to each option so I want you to be aware and decide which one you choose to take. The first is to have your surname be Filonizee. Which'll give you a bit more independence than the second option. However, if you choose this route it'll be harder to explain why I chose to sponsor you and why we would be working together as a team once you get into the Guild, _if_ you wish to work with me," Boba paused for just the briefest moment. "Do you?"

"What? Of _course_ I want to work with you Boba. I wouldn't have stayed with you only to be alone," Jinn answers as Boba nods his head. 

"Good, we'll work well together. The other option also has its pros and cons. You could take my surname as pass yourself off as my wife -" a whole barrage of emotions burst through Jinn, too many and too deep and too foreign for her to comprehend. "It'd increase the level of respect you'd have of the Guild members, people would be less likely to piss you off, nobody would even think _once_ of crossing you, and it'd explain more easily why I chose to have you as my apprentice, sponsor you, and work with you once you get into the Guild. However, the only downside is that it'd make any... intimate relationships you'd wish to have with anyone more difficult. I'm not stupid, I know that this wouldn't be some sort of love marriage or whatever. I'm not going to ask you to not be with anyone but if you wish to, whether it's a quick fuck or something more, you'd have to be much more careful because people talk. But the choice is up to you."

Jinn is silent, trying to figure out what exactly is going on in her mind, all her thoughts too fast and too tied to emotions for her to understand. "Say... say I chose to take your last name and pass myself off as... as your wife, would _you_ be having intimate relationships?"

"Don't do relationships," Boba responds immediately in a bored voice but she can tell that there's something underneath it that isn't identifiable yet.

"Why not?"

Boba's silent for a long moment and Jinn now knows that it's because he's debating whether or not to tell her something. "You can't trust anyone. My father taught me that. It's a part of my code. Forming a relationship with someone, not only would it complicate things but you'd make yourself vulnerable. That's not something I want in life. As for a quick fuck with some random woman -" Boba shrugs his shoulders, "not really interested in that at the moment."

"Why?" Jinn asks before she can stop herself, feeling slightly breathless. Boba's silent for a moment and she understands that he might not want to respond. 

"That's nothing you should concern yourself with," he mutters, "now, make your choice. I don't wanna be waiting around all day."

Jinn chews the inside of her lip. She knows that if she chose to have Boba's surname it wouldn't be a love marriage, more of a fake one with two people who simply work together and trust each other enough to watch each other's backs. And anyways, she's done meaningless hookups before and she's never really been a fan of them. They've always just left her feeling more empty than she started. Trying to use them to fill some hole inside of her where loneliness and hurt and rejection lay only makes it that much bigger. And the fact that Boba even _offered_ that suggestion hints at the notion that he might beginning to form some level of trust with her. Also, being married to Boba Fett doesn't sound too bad, just as long as she doesn't get attached. A tricky slope, one she could easily fall down, one she could _see_ herself falling down, sliding all the way down to where romantic feelings and attachments and complicated feelings lie. But, there is a thing called restraint.

The only question is, does she trust herself enough to not let her fall down that slope?

Boba

Finally, Jinn's blue eyes raise to look Boba in the face. He's been waiting here for a minute silently, trying not to shift back and forth awkwardly on his feet, trying to not give away _anything._ He offered for her to pass as his _wife_ , for both their identichips to show that they're _husband_ and _wife._ Kriffing _married._ He doesn't know exactly _why_ he chose to do it because anyone else and he wouldn't have even _thought_ of the idea. But it might be because there's something slightly deeper than just his need to protect her that's the reason why he chose to offer this alternative to her. Which is _bad._ But Boba is a patient, strong-willed man who has been taught the notion of restraint from an early age. After his father died, he cut off the idea of ever letting someone in, of forming attachments and romantic feelings and _trust_. It's made him a damn good Bounty Hunter and it's protected him from harm and hurt. Yet, here he is, offering to a woman he's known for barely a week for them to basically get married. It's strange and he wonders what his father would think with something feeling suspiciously like guilt twisting in his gut at the thought. 

Yet, _yet_ , there's something about the girl that makes him want to trust her, makes him feel like he _can_ trust her. That there's some unspoken bond between them in which she trusted him to take care of her when she was at her most vulnerable, when he allowed her, the first person in _years_ to call him by his first name. When she took down over a dozen stormtroopers to protect _him_ , when he protected her despite having five blasters shoved in his face. He doesn't know _why_ but sometimes wonders if the Force was involved somehow. _The Force has a will of its own_ , Jinn had once said to him. Or maybe he's just been alone for so long that he's not being a complete asshole to the first person who was genuinely kind to him. And he doesn't know if that's messed up or not. 

Then, he notices Jinn nodding her head, small, short movements before quickly stopping, glancing back up at Boba. A large, teasing smile spreads across her face. It takes his breath away. She _rips_ it from his lungs all because of a smile. Its white teeth and a small tilting of the head with those beautiful blue eyes twinkling mischievously. Boba thinks that seeing her smile will never get old. Doesn't want it to. Doesn't want to no longer feel that slight warmness that worms its way into him every time she smiles at him because it's _him_ she's choosing to smile at. This girl, who grew up in hatred and anger with manipulative and emotionally abusive parents, who is full of pain and hurt and sadness and regret is choosing to smile at _him_. The fact that she's still able to smile after everything she went through is astonishing and it's even more surprisingly when she chooses to direct that joy and happiness at Boba. 

"Let's get married, Boba."

And he laughs, actually laughs. It's not much of a laugh but it's a real one. A short and deep chuckle, rough and rich, something that would send most people scattering in the other direction. But not her, never her. "Funny," he says in a way as if to suggest that he didn't _actually_ find it funny, even though he sorta did. 

"Please," she says with a scoff, "I'm hilarious -" and now Boba's _smiling_ under his helmet. " _And_ I got you to laugh. How many people can say that?" And she looks genuinely pleased at that, with the way she's smiling and the gentleness in her eyes, still teasing, but eyes slightly softer. 

"You're a cocky little thing, aren't you, little one?"

She makes a face at his nickname, twisting it into something of a scowl and he knows that it's mocking, teasing. He could tell she liked the name the moment before she pulled that face, when her eyes had softened ever so slightly and mouth had quirked into a small smile. 

"I'm not _that_ little. I _happen_ to be a fully grown woman, and not a short one at that."

"I know." Oh, he _knows._

"Then, why -"

"We best get back in, little one -" and he nearly laughs at the face she pulls again, although he can tell she's also trying not to laugh, "before Vazar gets even more pissed at us."

She sighs dramatically but gives Boba a nod with her head, muttering a " _fine_ ," before they head back in. 

"So?" Vazar asks, "what's this last thing you want to tell me before I get started on her identichip?"

"Her name. First name is Dawn," Boba begins as Vazar taps away frantically on her datapad, "maiden name is Filonizee, current surname is Fett -" Vazar's head snaps up at that, surprise and hurt flashing across her features. For the longest time, Vazar's had a thing for Boba, and as beautiful as she might be he doesn't make a habit of fucking people he might need again at a later point. He only fucks some random girl in some random cantina on some random Outer Rim planet who wants to be fucked. But never people in his line of business or who are in a line of business that often crosses paths with his. And he knows that if he did choose to fuck Vazar, she would be unable to not form an attachment to him. The last thing Boba needs is the best fake identichip maker in the Outer Rim to be pissed at him. 

"You're passing her off as your _wife_?" She hisses angrily. 

"Make sure to add in her identichip that we're married, and on mine as well," he says, fishing his identichip out of his pocket and tossing it on her table. And Vazar downright _seethes_ at the two of them for a long moment before sighing. "Make sure it says that we got married one year ago same day as today."

"Fine," she grounds out, "anything else?"

"That'll be it."

"It'll be ready in two days. 8,000 credits for hers, 2,000 for your... addition."

Boba nodded. A decent price, cheaper than getting a fake one from Coruscant where the lowest price is 12,000 credits. But Vazar is as good as those frauds on Coruscant, maybe even better, and to pay that much for something that'll help protect Jinn and even possibly save her life is worth it. Boba nods his head, saying that they'll show themselves out. When they finally leave the mechanic shop, Jinn turns to him, saying, "I have credits, I can pay you back."

"Don't worry about it," he mumbles, hearing her huff an irritated sigh to his left. 

"No, I'm paying you back. You saved my life, Boba, and you asked for nothing in return. You've protected me, cared for me, kriff, you've done way more than most people would. Like, way more. And now you're helping me build a life and -" she lets out a longer sigh, grabbing his shoulder.

It's a gentle grab, a hand on the shoulder, just to have him stop. So, he does. He stops and turns to face her, watching as a small wind blows through the streets. Her grey cape flutters slightly and that exquisite, vivid, bright orange hair flows slightly, braid rippling behind her softly as the wind lets a small curl fall from her tight braid. Boba catches it before he can stop himself, tucking it behind her ear, feeling slightly pleased at the tiniest gasp she lets out. When he pulls his hand away, she's just staring at him, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar. Before his hand can fall back to his side she's catching it, cradling it with her own hand as though it is the most delicate thing in the world. Then, she reaches out and grabs his other hand so that now she's cradling both of Boba's large, gloved hands in her own, which seem so much smaller despite how she's not that small for a human woman. Something in the back of his mind is shouting, a warning because he knows that this type of affection isn't allowed with him, he's forbidden himself from it because he made a promise to himself, to his father. But now that she's here, looking so pretty as her thumb runs across his hand, fair cheeks slightly flushed, he turns off that part of his brain that's shouting at him that this might not be a good idea. 

" _Please_ , Boba," she says finally, glancing up at him, eyes pleading, face open and earnest, " _please_ let me pay for it all. You've done _so much_ for me. Let me at least do this, _please._ "

Boba sighs because how can he say no to her when she's looking at him like that, "alright. Fine. You have enough credits for that?"

A smirk spreads across her face, "I have way more than that. I stole _a lot_ of credits from my parents before I jumped ship."

"Smart girl," Boba muses as they both stare at their hands. In a quite daring move, Boba summons up the courage to grab one of her hands, squeezing it before dragging her through the streets, their hand still connected, back to his ship, holding her hand the entire way through. And she _lets him._ Boba knows this. Knows that she's the type of person, where, if she wasn't okay with something, she would tell him, would refuse to do it.

"So, what are we going to do for the next two days?" Jinn asks, sitting down in one of the stools by the table, looking relaxed. And something about seeing her look so calm and at ease in his ship, in front of _him_ , makes him feel something, some sort of warmness that he can't identify. 

"Find that acquisition I lost after you crashed," Boba explains, pulling out the tracking fob. 

"You know where it is?"

"I have some suspicions. We can check them out while we're waiting for Vazar to finish."

Boba sits down at the table, inserting a datachip into his table, pressing a button as a holographic map of Tatooine appears before them. The map's a special one. No one else in the galaxy has a map like this because Boba's made various edits to it. He's added in where each of the different gangster areas are, the routes in which sand people tend to attack travelers, black market areas, and so forth. 

"Boba," Jinn begins and he can hear the slight hesitation in her voice, causing him to glance up, "how come you didn't like Vazar calling you by your first name?"

Boba leans back in his seat, fingers absentmindedly tapping against the table. "No one calls me by my first name," he explains as Jinn's mouth opens in surprise just slightly. 

"But, you let _me_ call you Boba."

"And no one else."

"Why?"

Boba shrugs because he doesn't exactly _know_ why. "I know what it's like to be all alone," he begins slowly, "I know what that's like. To be all alone in the galaxy with not a single person alive who gives a kriffing shit about you. I know what that's like and seeing you, after you first woke up and were still healing," another shrug, "well, it reminded me of when I was first all alone. I let you call me by my name because I didn't have it in me to say no."

"But you're not alone," Jinn says, words slightly rushed as Boba glances at her, eyebrow raised under his mask. And she blushes slightly, just the briefest tinge of pink on those freckled cheeks of hers. Then, as daring as Boba was earlier, she reaches across the table and grabs his hand, squeezing it. Boba's stomach drops then swoops like some flying animal. "At least, not anymore."

Boba grunts but moves his hand, opening his palm up to her as her fingers trace patterns on it. He can hear her breathing increase ever so slightly. "Neither are you," he responds and dank farrik, when did he get so _soft?_

"Boba," Jinn begins again, "why doesn't Vazar like you?"

He chuckles because _that's_ what she's wondering. "It's not that she doesn't like me. It's that she likes me too much," Boba explains as Jinn's fingers pause against his gloved palm. 

"Oh," is all Jinn says. 

"Don't worry, little one, I'm not interested," Boba responds as her fingers press flat against his palm as her mouth opens to respond, eyes wide and cheeks slightly more pink. But she's smiling because she _knows_ that he's teasing but also knows that he's telling the truth. 

"I wasn't _worried_ , I was just curious," she covers quickly with a one-shoulder shrug and _dank farrik_ , she's _so_ beautiful when she's blushing, when she's caught off guard and slightly flushed. It's adorable. Something precious that makes Boba want to sear her expression into his brain. But she continues her fingers tracing patterns on his palm. "Do you ever take off your helmet?"

Boba smirks under his helmet, "do you want me to take off my helmet, little one?"

"Are you able to?" She asks, fingers brushing innocently - although he _knows_ that both of them are well aware it's anything but innocent - against the bare skin between his glove and sleeve. It takes all of his effort to repress the shiver that wants to run through his body. 

Boba clears his throat, watching at how that response caused her lips to curve into a smile. "Yes, I just choose not to in public. It -" his breath catches in his throat as she 'innocently' brushes her fingers against his bare skin again. " _Careful_ , _mesh'la._ "

Jinn tilts her head to the side, " _mesh-la_?" She tests the word on her tongue, curious like she is about so much in life. It's a wonder how someone can still want to know so much about the world after going what she went through, with how she was raised. "What does it mean?"

"Maybe someday I'll tell you," Boba says as she smiles at the tease. "But I can take off my helmet. It's not forbidden or anything."

And he feels slightly nervous as he removes his hand from Jinn's before grabbing the sides of his helmet, pressing down before slowly pulling it off. There's that fear running through his mind, the most superficial kriffing bullshit ever, that he's afraid that she might not find him attractive. Not too many people have seen his face, just because he prefers it that way. Even when he's fucking some random woman, he prefers to keep it on. It allows for a boundary to be up that can't be crossed. But now he's taking off his helmet for her, in front of her, and the one thing he's worried about is if she finds him attractive or not. And he wants to scoff at it. Then, he places his helmet on the table, putting it on there so gently you can barely hear the sound. And Jinn _gasps_ , audibly. 

Boba's eyes find hers as he realizes that he's seeing her face with his own eyes for the first time. Her eyes are wide, mouth slightly ajar, hand hovering halfway in the air as though she was going to cover it, press her fingers over her mouth to hide her gasp but wasn't sure if she was going to. She's just frozen, just _staring_ at him. And just as Boba is beginning to feel self-conscious, she whispers something that makes him feel like he's soaring. 

" _You're beautiful._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, I totally went with the "fake married" trope because it is just too good to deny. Hopefully you guys like their dynamic. I know this is a softer Boba than most people are used to but that's just because he's mainly been interacting with Jinn so far.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jinn and Boba work on cementing their fake marriage while they start hunting down Boba's lost acquisition

Jinn

She was staring at him. She knew she was. But she just couldn't help herself. He was so kriffing _beautiful._ He has brown skin with a strong jaw, lips turned slightly into what seems to be an ever-present frown, a sharp nose, arched eyebrows, and black hair cut short, but long enough for Jinn to see that it's slightly curly. And his _eyes._ Maker, his _eyes_ are gorgeous. A dark brown that's so deep it nearly swallows Jinn whole, where, if she stares long enough, can see the slight flecks of Hazel in them. And she notices. Kriff, does she notice. She had whispered a _you're beautiful_ before she could stop herself. She was just so _shocked_ because she hadn't really tried to imagine him. The only thing she knows about him that would help her imagine what he looks like is that he's thirty-two, human, and Jango Fett's clone, but raised as his son. But she never saw Jango Fett. She was born the same year he died and was too young to remember seeing the clone troopers. But she never even got close enough to see them. 

But she hadn't expected Boba to be so _handsome._ Jinn would have cringed internally when she told him to his face that he was beautiful if she hadn't still been so surprised by his face. And Boba looks just as caught-off guard as Jinn does, except maybe he hides it a bit better. Surprise flashes across his face for the briefest moment before he schools his expression, blinking a couple of times. And before things can get too awkward, Jinn leans back in her seat, one hand on the table and the other curling into her pants. 

"Kriff, Boba, you never told me that you were fucking _hot_ ," Jinn says as Boba hides his surprise well, raising a single dark eyebrow and lips curving into the smallest smirk. 

"I don't know about that," he says after a moment. His voice is different, just slightly. It's still harsh, but not as intense as it was when he was speaking through the modulator. There's a slight accent there that Jinn can't place. But it's sweet. A nice accent. His voice is slightly higher without the helmet on but it's still deep. Still harsh, still intimidating as fuck, but maybe a little bit less without the helmet on. 

"Nope," she says with a shake of the head, "you so are." He snorts at her comment, both of them knowing that she's slightly teasing. Then, Jinn's smile fades slightly, turning into something much more gentle and genuine, eyes softening as she says in a much more tender voice, "you're very handsome, Boba."

His hand moves to rub the back of his neck and Jinn wonders if she made him uncomfortable in a bad way. But then his brown eyes connect with her blue ones and he gives her a small nod of thanks. "You're not too bad yourself, _mesh'la._ "

A smile spreads across Jinn's face, "how would you feel if I called you names in my mother tongue and refused to tell you the meaning of?"

"What's your mother tongue?"

"ur-Kittat, also known as the Old Tongue. But you all know it as Sith."

Boba raises his eyebrows at that. The Sith language is incredibly taboo and the majority of the people fear even simply hearing the language spoken. Most communication droids can understand the language but have it in their programming that they are forbidden from speaking or translating it. "What does your language sound like?"

"Not as pretty as your Mando'a."

Boba leans back in his seat, "try me."

Jinn pauses for a moment, tapping her fingers absentmindedly on the table as she thinks about what would be a good thing to say. Then, she says it. The words are drawn out slightly, deep and dark and harsh. The words don't flow from one to the other but stop harshly after each word or two, noises pulled from the back of the throat that sound like growls. Jinn can feel the power flowing through her as she speaks the words but makes sure that her Force shields are up so her parents, wherever they are, can't feel that pull when she speaks her language. 

"You're right," Boba says after a moment, eyes on her the entire time as she spoke, "Mando'a does sound better. What'd you say?"

"It directly translates to 'respect is given to you for the power you had to save my life.' What I meant was, thank you for saving my life. Although we don't really have any nicknames that aren't meant to be offensive."

He makes a small noise as if he finds the direct translation interesting before giving Jinn a small nod. Boba's brown eyes glance back towards the holographic map, tapping the tracker before a small red dot appears on the map. Boba zooms in to show that the acquisition is in some building, what it is, Jinn has no idea since it isn't marked in anything she understands. 

"Here, he's at some mechanic nearby the crash site most likely getting his speeder fixed. He'll need to get to Mos Eisley to get off the planet but he probably won't get here until tomorrow afternoon. Instead of trying to hunt him down we can wait and cut him off at whichever route he chooses to get him here. Most likely he'll be using a back route so we can ignore this -" Boba points to one route that's marked, "and this. It'll take him a couple of hours to even get to Mos Eisley from where he's at currently so we can check in later tonight just to be sure he hasn't found someone else to take him and then again tomorrow morning." Boba taps a button on the side of his table as the map shuts down. "Each of my maps have been modified and reconstructed to include things like back routes, gang areas, black market places, and so forth. I'll teach you how to read them so that by the time we're hunting acquisitions more you'll be getting the hang of it."

Jinn nods, suddenly feeling like she's a student and is trying to desperately understand what the teacher is saying. Boba glances at her, brown eyes sharp and analyzing. "Do you know how to use a blaster?" Jinn shakes her head. "Well, you're going to have to learn. The majority of Bounty Hunters use blasters and so did the Black Sun, although they also had a speciality in swords, which is another reason why I chose them for you. But if you're going to pass yourself off as an ex-merc and a future Bounty Hunter, you should probably learn how to use a blaster. It's better to teach you today rather than when we have the acquisition just in case they talk since Jabba wants this one alive. Most acquisitions are talkative for the right amount, whether it's protection or credits. We can practice just outside of Mos Eisley."

She watches as Boba rifles through a drawer before tossing her something. Jinn catches it to see that it's a silver beskar vambrace with a wrist comm in it. "Wear that so I'll be able to communicate with you. It'll be especially important when we're hunting acquisitions and need to break up to catch them."

Jinn glances up at Boba, "am I even allowed to wear this? I thought Mandalorians were protective of their beskar."

"Most Mandalorians are pricks," Boba grunts, but pauses when seeing Jinn's concerned face, "as long as you're not in full beskar armor I'm sure you'll be fine."

Boba tosses Jinn a protective fingerless black glove, which she puts on first. Feeling more reassured, Jinn nods, sliding the beskar vambrace onto her non-dominant arm, expecting her right arm to feel heavier. Jinn clenches her fist, moving her right arm in the air, staring at the vambrace which goes from her wrist to the end of her forearm, stopping two inches before her elbow. "It's surprisingly light," she comments as Boba nods. 

"If you're wearing full armor you need it to be light in order for you to move around," Boba says, slamming his hand against a button on the wall as something opens outside the ship, "Come on," is all he says before walking outside.

Jinn follows Boba outside to see that a two passenger Silver Speeder is now next to his ship. Boba throws something into the trunk before gesturing for Jinn to throw her swords in the back as well. She carefully places her swords, still sheathed in her custom shoulder wraps, onto the bags in the trunk. It feels weird, even though they're just going to be in the trunk. It feels strange to be parting with them. Maybe it's just because she's protective of them since she made them herself or maybe it's just that she still feels slightly vulnerable without having so many weapons on her. She still has two lightsabers attached to the holsters on her belt, so, that's something. Jinn jumps into the ship, smoothing her hand over the nice leather as Boba presses a button on the front panel as the window closes over, encasing the two of them in the cockpit. 

"This is nice," Jinn comments about the leather as Boba shrugs, unable to read him anymore because his helmet is back on. 

"It should be for what I paid for it. We'll head maybe an hour outside of Mos Eisley, just enough so that there aren't any stragglers who like to hide. I know a good place I can teach you how to use a blaster," Boba explains as the speeder takes off. 

It's silent for a couple of minutes, feeling slightly awkward. They're suddenly in this enclosed space, right next to each other, and Jinn doesn't really know what to say. Finally, she clears her throat. "So, is there anything we have to do to, you know, make this... this fake marriage believable?"

Boba tilts his head to the side slightly as though he's considering. "There are probably some basic things we should know about each other," he pauses for a moment, "and we should seem comfortable with each other."

"You mean like physically?" Jinn blurts out before she can stop herself, immediately shutting her mouth as she feels heat rush to her cheeks. 

"Yeah, exactly," Boba responds, voice slightly more quiet. 

Clearing her throat again, Jinn turns to Boba, "so, what should I know about you?"

Boba sighs loudly, the noise slightly altered by his modulator. "Kriff," he mumbles, sounding highly unhappy about the fact that he has to talk about himself, "I'll give you the basics but nothing more, alright? Only what I think is crucial, got it?" Jinn nods. "I was born in 32 BBY, I -" he catches himself, swallowing, "my father, Jango Fett, was the clone template, which you already know. He... as part of his pay, he demanded only one thing, which was a single, unaltered clone for himself. Me. He raised me as his son until -" another pause, "he... he was killed when I was ten by a Jedi."

Jinn can feel the sadness radiating from him through the Force and she knows better than to place a hand on him, despite how she might want to. This is probably the most he's spoken about himself in a long time, even trying to place a hand on his shoulder in comfort might cause him to shut down. "You loved him," Jinn says, voice soft and quiet, as though if she had spoken any louder it might break whatever amount of trust he's starting to have in her. His gloves tighten against the wheel as he nods with his helmet. "I'm sorry, Boba."

He shrugs. "It is what it is," he lets out a long, shaky sigh, "now you. I'm not spending an entire hour talking about me."

And now it's Jinn's turn to grimace. "Ugh, fine. I was born in 22 BBY, although I guess for my fake identity I was born in 24 BBY. My parents - shouldn't you be memorizing my fake identity instead of my real one?"

"We can work on your fake identity tonight. Is there anything that I need to know about you that if you had a real spouse would know about you?"

"Well, I would assume a real spouse would know everything. But..." Jinn shrugs, "I don't know. I've spent my entire life being trained in the ways of the Sith, to be trained to be a warrior, essentially. There's... there's nothing else."

Boba

Boba glances at Jinn, watching as some of curly orange hair hangs loose from her tight braid as she glances down, her left hand gliding up and down her beskar vambrace gently. For some reason, Boba feels a small amount of pride build in him at seeing her wear that. But it fades a moment later as he realizes how sad she is. She wasn't raised to be a kid, kriff, Boba's father might've raised him to be a Bounty Hunter and a warrior, but at least he was loved. When he was young and playing with toys his father would sit with him, would even play with him. He was hugged, kissed on the cheek and forehead, had his hair ruffled, had... well, had a parent who loved him. He doesn't think Jinn's ever had that. And she must feel so painfully alone, despite how she tries to hide it. How someone like her went through all of that and can still be that kind and considerate, sympathetic and... and a good person, even if she might try to deny that. 

"I'm sure there's other stuff. Like..." Boba sucks in a breath through his nose, considering for a moment, "what's your favorite food?"

Jinn laughs, a sweet noise that sounds like wind chimes and reminds Boba of the sun. Not the harsh, hot Tatooine suns but that feeling of the sun shining down after months of rain. It warms something inside of him as the corners of his lips pull at a smile. "Space waffles," she says after a moment and _of course_ her favorite meal is something sweet, "with jam. I don't like a lot of sweet food just because I didn't grow up on it but that's my favorite. What about you?"

"Uj'alayi," Boba says, remembering the traditional Mandalorian sticky-sweet cake that was baked flat made with a variety of nuts and dried fruit. "My father would bring some back for me every time he went to Mandalore or Concord Dawn."

"That's sweet," Jinn comments as Boba clears his throat, glancing at her to see that she's looking slightly more relaxed and cheerful. This conversation feels... _natural. Normal._ But they're nothing nowhere even near normal. Yet, here they are, casually talking about their favorite foods. Boba glances at her to see her chewing the inside of her lip again, head tilted slightly in thought. "What's one of your pet peeves? Like something small that people do that you hate?"

"People who don't stick to their word," Boba says as Jinn snorts. "And nosy people who ask too many questions," Boba says as Jinn smiles because she knows that he's not taking about her. 

"That's not exactly a pet peeve."

"Still pisses me off," Boba responds dryly. "What's yours?"

"I don't like pity and people who enjoy torturing others," she says and Boba realizes that she might've seen a lot of the latter, especially being raised as a Sith and having parents who work with the Empire. "Not necessarily a pet peeve but -" she shrugs. Jinn's silent for a moment and Boba can tell that she's debating asking something. "Boba," she begins as he raises an eyebrow under his helmet, "you don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but why do you disintegrate most of your acquisitions?"

Boba pauses for a moment, slightly surprised by the question. He _could_ answer it. If anyone else, especially if it was another bounty hunter, had asked it, he might've broken their hand or slammed their head against a table or wall. Not because he would have enjoyed it, but because it would send a warning for people not to ask him those types of questions. But it's _Jinn_ who's asking it and it's the first person since... kriff, since his father who he has had some level of trust with. Maybe not the emotional kind, well, maybe a little bit of that. They've both have had rough childhoods and have seen a lot. They know that it's like to be all alone and they both trust each other enough to know that they're in this together. Whatever... whatever _this_ is. 

"It's easier," Boba begins, "if it says dead or alive, it's easier to just disintegrate them. Some want a recording of it but most take me at my word. I don't have to drag around a body." Jinn nods and Boba is slightly relieved to see that she doesn't look completely horrified. "What will be your main weapon? When we're hunting acquisitions. You can't go around using your lightsabers."

"My swords."

"That'll work, but you'll need to know how to use a blaster. Most bounty hunter use some type of blaster but some have different weapons. There's a bounty hunter named Zival who only uses knives. And you're good with your swords -" really good, not that he'd tell her that, "they'll believe you."

Boba stops the speeder in a surprisingly rocky terrain, The high rising tan cliffs serve as the perfect spot for them to be hidden, no one would even be able to see them unless they knew exactly where they were. Jinn followed Boba out of his speeder, the man fully well aware that she was watching him as he pulled a spare blaster out of the trunk. Boba led Jinn through the rocky cliffs until they reached the center where the two cliffs on either side were at least two dozen feet across from each other. Boba gestured for Jinn to stand in the center of it, staring at her for a moment. 

"Do you know how to properly hold a blaster?" Boba asks as Jinn shakes her head. 

"I don't even know how to _use_ a blaster," she explains as Boba resists the urge to sigh. This might be harder than he expected. 

"First you need to get into the right stance," Boba begins, holstering the other blaster to his side. 

Boba begins to explain to Jinn how she should stand, watching as she takes the stance she took when battling those storm troopers. Boba kicks her boots slightly, urging her feet to slide in more so her stance isn't as wide and to lean back a bit more. But besides that, she was already in a pretty good stance. "Here," Boba says, placing the blaster into her hand, "hold it like this, yeah, exactly, now -" and he spends the next five minutes telling how how to hold it, but mainly how the blaster works. After he was confident that she knows how to operate the damn thing, he tells her to hold it in the air. "Good, you want your elbows slightly bent, close to being locked but not completely locked, yeah, just like that, now raise it right here," Boba explains, dragging the blaster up to the right spot. "Keep your back a bit straighter," Boba says, placing a hand gently on her back as he hears her inhale sharply through her nose. He quickly drops her hand, noticing the way she glances at him out of the corners of her eyes, brow furrowing slightly in confusion. "How does it feel?"

He tries not to notice the way she presses her lips together for a moment in thought. "It feels... some parts feel similar but others don't. I'm much more used to taking a stance that's more preparing me to move rather than preparing me to stay still."

"You should start practicing that stance more often and hold an uncharged charger so it'll look like natural. Now, see those markings on the cliffs?" Boba asks as Jinn nods, "I want you to aim for them. This is where I practice shooting my blaster or where I go to blow off steam by blowing up the wall of the cliff. I want you to aim for the tiny white circle in the center, got it?" Jinn nods. "Be careful of the drawback. Go ahead."

Jinn shoots the weapon, feeling the kickback as the blaster bolt goes high into the cliff as she takes a step back. It takes all of Boba's effort not to laugh. "Don't worry, that's natural."

"I can feel your amusement," Jinn comments dryly, glancing at Boba with a raised eyebrow. "Let's see how amused you are when you when try using a lightsaber for the first time," she quips back as Boba chuckles. 

Boba watches as she gets back into position, trying again, and again, and again. Finally, she lets out an irritated breath, closing her eyes. Boba watches curiously as she takes in a deep breath before letting it out, watching as her body slowly loses its tension, back straightening slightly as her breathing steadies out. Then, Jinn opens her eyes and hits the center of the target. 

"Kriff -" Boba begins as Jinn positively _beams_ at him. 

"And _that_ is called using the Force," Jinn says cheerfully, looking very proud of herself. Boba really wishes he could be angry with her but with her looking at him like that, how can he?

"It's called cheating, do it again," Boba says, watching as she closes her eyes before hitting the center of the target again and again and again. 

By the time Boba had felt more reassured that Jinn seems to be doing better with the blaster, it was an hour before noon, which means they should get back before lunch. By the time they got back in the speeder, Boba is already explaining what they should spend the afternoon doing. 

"You need to get a holster for your blaster, you can keep that blaster it's an older version I don't use anymore and Maker knows I have enough blasters. I believe I have a thigh holster somewhere on my ship you can have. We need to discuss three things, though. First, do you want to keep your lightsabers on you or not? If you choose to we can always tell a lie that you took them for two Jedi or you can store them in my ship. Your cloak could conceal them easily enough."

"My lightsabers stay," Jinn says firmly as Boba nods. 

"Next, I've done work for Vader before and the Empire," Boba begins, glancing at Jinn to see her swallow slightly before giving resolute nod. "Has Vader ever seen your face?"

"Yeah, many times."

"That'll complicate things, slightly. Which means you'll need a mask with a voice modulator so he won't be able to recognize your face or voice. I know a good place in Corellia that'll have stuff like that. We can go there after we deliver this bounty to Jabba."

Boba's silent for so long that Jinn speaks up again, "what's the third thing?"

His sigh is loud and drawn out. "We should -" he grimaces, not because the concept is annoying to him but more because it's making him feel _awkward_ , "we should probably get weddings rings, to solidify the whole thing. Make sure our story is believable."

"Oh," Jinn says after a moment and Boba _wishes_ that he knew that she was thinking, "alright."

"We'll head out this afternoon to get them. I know a jewelers in Mos Eisley."

"Sounds good," Jinn says. 

They spend the rest of the ride back in silence but unlike the first time, it wasn't drawn out and awkward. It's a content sort of silence, the one where two people are comfortable enough with each other that they can spend time together in silence, not saying a single word. And Boba doesn't mind it, he truly doesn't, which is exactly the problem. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know nothing too exciting happened this chapter but the next chapter will be much more lively. They'll get to hunt down the bounty and Jinn gets to meet Jabba the Hutt. Let's just say she isn't a fan...


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boba and Jinn hunt the missing acquisition and Jinn meets Jabba for the first time

Boba

Boba's up earlier than usual, rubbing his hand over his face as his room comes into view. He's back in his own bed at the insistence of Jinn, who, now being fully recovered, all but refused to sleep in his bed anymore. _You've done enough for me_ , she had said, face calm but eyes burning passionately as she had stood her ground. _You deserve to sleep in your own bed. I'll take the bed in the wall._ So, Boba had relented. He had slept in his own bed and it was _so_ much better than the bed in the wall. He didn't really fight her that hard on it because once he saw that look in her eyes, he knew she wouldn't back down. He's seen that look in so many people before, that strong-willed determination and stubbornness as thick as a steel wall. 

As Boba pushes himself up, he feels a weight on his left hand, raising it in the air to see the flash of silver on his left ring finger. Boba turns his hand back and forth, staring at the ring. He never, _never_ thought that he'd be wearing one of these. Sure, the marriage might technically be legitimate since it'll be on their identichips as such, but both of them knew it was only a cover. Still, it feels _strange._ The last time he even had this much semblance of trust in a person, it had been with his father. After his father had been murdered Boba had shut down that kindness inside him, that gentleness and over time, he started to believe that there was no such thing as real trust. He has told himself again and again never to trust anyone. Yet, here he is, wearing a kriffing wedding ring with the most beautiful woman he's ever seen sleeping just outside his bedroom as they pretend to be _married._ What's even worse is that she's a _Jedi._

Boba groans, running both of his hands through his hair. He shouldn't be this conflicted. It had been the right thing to patch her up. It would've been against his code to leave her there yet what he _should've_ done is let her go, let her go to Sanctuary instead of asking her to stay. Yes, she had _wanted_ to stay. But maybe he shouldn't have spoken to her so much, should have ignored her more yet he didn't. Instead, he let the enemy of his father's people stay with him, had let a Jedi, the people he's sworn vengeance on, the people who he's hated more than anything else, stay with him. Had _wanted_ her to stay. And she had wanted to stay. She had _wanted_ to stay. He wasn't even really, truly angry that she stayed. Because how can he?

Checking the time, Boba pushes himself out of bed and changes quickly, or as quickly as it can take putting all his armor and gear on. He heads outside his bedroom, turning left as he spots Jinn curled up on the bed attached to the wall. She looks the most relaxed he's ever seen her, asleep with her chest rising and falling steadily. There's no guilt plaguing her expression, no pain or anger in her eyes, no brows furrowed together. She looks younger like this. Her curly red hair falls over her face, left hand nearly falling over the bed, revealing a flash of the silver wedding band across her finger. Buying their wedding rings yesterday felt like the most awkward thing Boba had ever done. Jinn was thankfully very calm about the whole thing, although he could sense the tension in her shoulders. Didn't exactly understand _why_ she would be tense, maybe she felt awkward as well? 

"Jinn," Boba says firmly, "time to get up," he taps the side of her bed. 

Boba turns around as he hears her grumble slightly, sighing loudly to herself as he starts preparing breakfast. It's not much and it's cold but it'll do. As long as it's nutritious and will give them energy for a while that's all that matters. 

"Morning, Boba," Jinn mutters sleepily. He simply grunts back. She has a cute voice when she's tired, he's noticed. 

He glances over his shoulder to see her making her bed before slamming the panel on the side as the bed closes up into the wall. She walks past him into the refresher, still in his old clothes which she's using as pajamas now, with her own clothes in a ball cradled in her arms. Boba brings the two plates of food to the table, placing one in front of her currently empty seat and then the other in front of his as he sits down, turning on the holographic map and pulling out the tracker, relieved to see the acquisition not mobile yet. But they'll be on their speeder soon headed to Mos Eisley, trying to get there before the suns can rise too high into the sky. 

By the time Jinn has exited the fresher, only five minutes later, the acquisition is already moving. Jinn shoves Boba's folded clothes into a compartment next to her bed also in the wall, closing it a moment later. She sits down across from Boba, digging into her breakfast as Boba keeps his eyes on the acquisition's dot.

"He should be here in about two hours, but we don't know which backroad he's going to take next," Boba explains as Jinn nods. 

"I'm to assume he still has his blaster on him," Jinn says as Boba's grunt is all he answers with. "So, I take that as a yes," she comments slyly as Boba nearly chuckles, "do you think he'll use it? What do we even know about this guy?"

Boba presses another button on the side of the table as the acquisition's face and crimes committed are listed in front of her. Jinn reads through them as she eats, her expression barely changing, but her eyes grow colder. "So, he's a thief and a murderer."

"Stole a lot of money from Jabba," Boba says, closing the acquisition's information, "and some confidential information. Don't know what and don't really care. Jabba wants him alive, though. I believe he has some questions for him."

"Who is this Jabba you've spoken about before?"

"He's a Hutt gangster and crime lord. He controls the bulk of the trafficking in illegal goods, piracy, and slavery on Tatooine -" Jinn's face contorts into a scowl at the word 'slavery,' "I do work for him from time to time. Pays better than the Guild, that's for sure," Boba pauses for a moment before adding sarcastically, "you'd love him."

Jinn snorts, "sure, I would. Sounds like a charmer."

"You should be wary of him, though. He has a fondness for violence that even I find distasteful. Just... don't talk to him unless he directly asks you a question. I don't want you thrown into the rancor pit."

"He has a rancor?" Jinn asks, not looking alarmed but more, finding it a bit ridiculous that Jabba has an actual rancor. 

"Yeah. Although, I don't think he'll actually throw you into the rancor pit. Even Jabba is smart enough to not piss me off and I would argue that throwing my wife into the rancor pit would count as pissing me off."

For just the briefest moment, Jinn's lips quirk into an amused smile. "Well, I'm glad to know that you care about me enough that you would be disappointed about my death."

Boba lets out a low laugh. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. Just... try not to piss him off."

"I'll try," Jinn says, pushing her empty plate away. "So, while we wait, we need to get our story straight."

Boba raises an eyebrow. "I thought we already did yesterday," he says as Jinn sighs. 

"No, what I mean is, how'd we meet?"

Oh, _kriff_. Boba didn't even think of that very obvious bit of information they might need. "I ran into the Black Sun three years ago on Corellia, we can say we met then. If anyone is dumb enough to ask any more information, then I'll tell them that it's none of their business. Most are smart enough to not speak to me unless they absolutely have to, much less ask how we met."

" _Is_ there anyone dumb enough to ask?"

Boba's silent for a moment, thinking over all his acquaintances and former allies. He lets out a long, irritated sigh. "Two, might be," he grounds out. Idiots. Idiots who know too much about his past. 

"Why?"

He runs a hand through the air, irritated, not at her, but at _them_ that they might go inquiring into his personal life that he's spent so much energy into keeping personal. "A Trandoshan bounty hunter named Bossk and Weequay pirate named Hondo Ohnaka."

"Who are they to you?"

"Former allies. Hondo was friends with my father, Jango, and deeply respected him. He's... a lot. Likes to talk your ear off. Bossk I was closer with. After... after my father died, I was taken in by three bounty hunters, Aurra Sing, Castas, and Bossk. They tried to help me in getting revenge on Mace Windu."

"The man who murdered your father?"

Boba nods. "They taught me the ins and outs of bounty hunting. The job of trying to kill Windu went south for reasons I'm not going to discuss with you. Bossk and I were captured. He had my back in prison and then was a part of a syndicate of bounty hunters I had formed for a while after we escaped until that all fell apart. We... eventually drifted apart, which is for the better. It's not good in this line of business to have too many people who know too much about you. But, he knew me as a kid so he might feel comfortable enough to ask a question or two. However, we don't really talk that much anymore so if I push hard enough he might relent."

Jinn nods and Boba feels a rush of respect for her that she doesn't ask more questions about his past. Her blue eyes are slightly distant as she thinks of different scenarios in which they might need to prepare for. After another moment, she glances at Boba before giving him a firm nod. 

And now they wait. 

Jinn

Jinn and Boba sit in his silver speeder as they zoom through the surprisingly quiet, dark streets of Mos Eisley. Her fingers drum against her thigh as she tries to hide her nervousness. She's fought people before but it's always been aggressive, concise, and she's always, always had the upper hand. She was trained to be a Sith warrior, not a bounty hunter. So, she's nervous because she doesn't want to mess it up. This is her life now. She needs to be good at it. 

They're heading for the backroad the acquisition took, cutting him off in the narrow part of the canyon. Boba's going to leave the silver speeder in the middle of the road, using his jetpack to get to the top of the canyon to watch from above and get a better view. Jinn is going to pretend to have the speeder broken down and trying to fix it. _Most men can't resist helping a beautiful woman_ , Boba had said to her as they made their plan. Then, Jinn would use the stun gun on the acquisition and the two would chuck him in the trunk before taking him to Jabba's. While it was truly an ingenious plan, all that had gone to Jinn's brain in that moment is that he thought she was _beautiful._ It's stupid, really, to get so worked up and flattered over something so superficial. Yet, it made her feel all warm inside and for the briefest moment, slightly flustered. 

Boba stops the speeder, turning it so that it's in the middle of the canyon pass right where they want it to be. The two get out of the speeder, the sky lighting up considerably since they had left, providing enough light so that the acquisition can see Jinn easily enough.

"You know the drill," Boba says, helmet already on as Jinn nods, giving him a small smile.

"I can handle myself," she says, feeling Boba's amusement through the Force. 

"I know," is all he says before shooting up into the air with his jet pack. 

Jinn sighs, glancing at the road to see it empty. She shrugs off her cloak, tossing it into the seat before closing the window. The tiny stun gun Boba had given her is shoved in her pocket. Jinn begins to unbraid her hair, slipping the hair tie around her wrist before letting the curls fall loose, running her hands through them once. Hey, if she's going to go through with this 'damsel in distress' thing she might as well make it believable. Jinn opens the hood, waiting patiently for five minutes until she hears Boba's voice crackle through the voice comm on her beskar vambrace. 

"I see him now, he'll be there in a minute, get ready," his modulated voice says. 

Jinn nods, placing her hands against the speeder and leaning forward. Soon enough she hears the sound of the speeder through the canyon, not even risking a glance until she hears it to her left as the acquisition has now come around the corner of the backroad. Jinn raises her head at the sound of the speeder slowing down to reveal a human male with tanned skin, hazel eyes, and black hair slicked back looking to be maybe in his late thirties. She flashes him a smile, forcing her face to look relieved as the man stops the speeder, getting off of it. 

"Having some speeder trouble?" He asks, walking over to her. 

"I don't know what happened," she says in a sickly sweet voice, "one moment I was driving and the next smoke was coming out of it. You don't happen to know anything about speeders, do you?" She asks, cocking her head slightly and giving him a shy, sweet smile. 

The acquisition casts her a slimy smile in return, lips curling as he walks closer to her. _Almost there..._ "As it just so happens, I'm actually an expert," he says, eyes roving up and down her body shamelessly. _Sure you do, asshole,_ Jinn thinks to herself, running a hand through her curly hair. "Do you mind?" He asks, gesturing to the speeder. 

"Be my guest," Jinn says, stepping aside as the man walks past her to look into the hood of the speeder, feeling immensely relieved that he seems not to recognize her from the time she shot Force lightening at him. Good to know. 

"Now where was the smoke -" the acquisition's sentence is cut off as his body spasms before falling to the ground. 

Jinn shoves the stun gun back in her pocket, staring at the unconscious acquisition without feeling a single shred of guilt to be giving a guy like this up to whoever this Jabba is. _Predator_ , she thinks, that's what he reminds her of. She nudges his body with her the tip of her boot a couple of times, maybe a little bit harsher than necessary, before feeling reassured that he's truly knocked out. Jinn presses the button on her comm, saying into it, "Boba, he's out cold. You're good."

A moment later she hears the sound of Boba's jetpack and glances up in the air to see him lowering himself down in front of her. His helmet turns towards the unconscious acquisition before looking back at Jinn. 

"Good," he says as Jinn can't help but give Boba a shy but genuine smile, watching as he stares at her beaming face for a long moment before turning back to the acquisition. 

Jinn closes the hood of the speeder before opening the trunk, pulling out her sheathed swords as Boba hefts the body up as though he weighs nothing and she can't help but be a little impressed. Maybe more than a little. And makes her wonder just exactly _how_ fit Boba is and what - she shuts that thought down quickly, literally turning away to blush. Quickly, Jinn throws her robe over her again, taking that small amount of time to center herself before getting back in the speeder as Boba slams the trunk shut. She cradles her swords in her lap as Boba gets in, pressing a button as the window closes and they take off. 

The two sit in comfortable silence until Boba begins to slow down, revealing in front of them an enormous sandblaster metal and stone fortress. Jinn's mouth hangs open for a moment in shock at the scale of the palace before promptly closing it shut. She and Boba leave the speeder as Jinn shoves the straps of her sword sheaths around each of her shoulders. Just as Jinn is starting to feel her nerves bubbling up inside her, instead of going straight to the trunk, Boba walks around the speeder and places his gloved hand gently against Jinn's cheek. 

"You'll be fine," he reassures her as she smiles gratefully at him, "just stick close to me, got it?"

Jinn nods, her hand sliding up without her even realizing it, wrapping around Boba's wrist. She can tell that he's casting her a curious look under his helmet. Still, he opens up his hand to her, letting her fingers wrap around his, feeling her breathing quicken for a moment, surprised at how Boba's just _letting_ her. _Willingly._ "Thanks," she whispers, squeezing his hand before regretfully letting it drop. Boba nods his helmet, the two staring at each other for a second too long before heading to the trunk. 

Boba opens the trunk to reveal the acquisition still knocked out cold. Jinn watches as he jostles the acquisition around slightly to no avail. "Think you can wake him up?" Boba asks as Jinn nods, stepping towards the acquisition, who is already handcuffed.

Closing her eyes, she holds her hand in front of her, towards the acquisition, feeling through the Force. A moment later, just before the acquisition awakes with a loud inhale, Jinn drops her hand. He blinks his eyes wearily, seeing Jinn first as confusion knits at his brows. 

"What the fu -" but his sentence stops as he abruptly chokes on it, eyes going wide in fear as he notices the man next to Jinn. "No, no, no" he mutters as Boba grabs his arm and drags him out of the speeder. Jinn shuts the trunk behind them before following Boba to the large metal door. With one hand, Boba bangs on the door, waiting for a moment, the only noise being made is the slight wind blowing the sand around them and the stumbled and desperate pleas of the acquisition. 

"Listen I can pay you anything you want! Anything!" He begs as Boba ignores him, his attention now focused on the small droid whose eye has appeared. It barely looks at Boba before turning to the acquisition, whose pleas are turning more and more desperate, and then to Jinn, lingering on her for a moment. Jinn straightens her back, looking the droid right in the eye. It glances at Boba again before disappearing. 

A moment later, the loud creak of the doors opening greets them to reveal a large, curved stone stairway heading down into somewhere beyond. Boba pushes the acquisition, one hand wrapped tightly around his arm. But the moment Boba begins to try to force the acquisition down, he backs up, putting all his weight into his heels as he scrambles backwards. Jinn sighs, latching her hand around his other arm as she and Boba begin to drag the acquisition downstairs, who is having difficulty putting up a fight between two people now. Not that he even stood a chance with just Boba. The sound of loud music and chatter greets them as they follow the curve of the staircase before revealing a large room made all of the same stone. Dozens of people of all species stand inside, some milling around, others chatting, all looking to be the sort of people you wouldn't want to cross paths with. To the right is a large platform and upon it, an enormous Hutt, who must be Jabba. He's... disgusting. Jinn resists the urge to grimace. 

As they get closer, Jinn notices with a flick of anger a young Twi'lek woman in barely more than some glorified underwear, a leather strap around her neck that chains her to the platform. She's sitting there dejectedly, a glazed look in her eyes, which changes to confusion and hesitation upon seeing Jinn, the acquisition, and Boba walk into the room. Jabba's position immediately changes upon noticing Boba, body adjusting slightly and eyes becoming more alert. The room grows silent for a moment upon noticing Boba, even the music, but then it quickly resumes as people try to not look as though they're eavesdropping. 

"Fett," Jabba says, opening his arms as Boba drags the acquisition before Jabba, shoving him onto the ground, who hangs his head in defeat. "It is good to see you," Jabba says in Huttese, "I was worried you might not have gotten Kilham here. You usually don't take as long."

"I had a... complication," Boba answers as Jabba's eyes flash towards Jinn. He waves his hand as two of his guards come over and drag the acquisition away, who is now pleading and shouting his case to Jabba. 

"Is this the... _complication_?"

Boba glances towards Jinn, fingers brushing against hers for the briefest moment, saying in basic, "might I present to you, my wife, Dawn Fett."

Surprise flits across Jabba's face as the room grows completely silent for the second time since Jinn and Boba have entered. Everyone is now staring at Jinn, but she keeps her back straight and chin up, trying not to look as self-conscious as she feels. It takes longer this time for the music to resume.

"I did not know you had a wife, Fett," Jabba muses, now looking at Jinn in a completely different light, seeming to take her much more seriously. "Step forward, girl," Jabba says as Jinn takes a step forward, keeping her face impassive. Jabba stares at her for a moment, eyes roving up and down, taking in more than just how she looks, but how she holds herself, how comfortable or uncomfortable she looks, what weapons she has on, her wedding ring, and, of course, her body. "Ah," he begins to laugh, "she's a pretty one, Fett. _Very_ pretty." Gross. Jinn lets a small unamused smile spread across her face as she cocks an eyebrow, acting as though she's unfazed. This only causes Jabba to laugh more. "I know that look very well," the look where she wants to strange him with a chain? Yeah, sure. "She's got a fire in her eyes. I can see why you married her, Fett."

"She's working as my apprentice until she can get into the Guild," Boba explains.

"Is she a fighter?" Jabba asks curiously as Jinn glances at Boba, who nods his helmet just the tiniest bit. 

"I worked as a mercenary for the Black Sun," she says in basic as Jabba's eyes widen. "Unfortunately, they were all killed when the Empire blew up Alderaan. I was on another planet that week being forced to deal with some rather... _difficult_ potential clients."

Jabba nods for a moment in thought before continuing in Huttese. "That would explain the swords. I am sorry about your group," Jinn bows her head in thanks, "it's a shame that they're gone. There aren't too many people left in the world with the natural skill that they had," Jabba's silent for another moment before turning to Boba. "I might have another job for you, Fett, if you're willing. I'll give you the details later after I have interrogated Kilham. Sit down and enjoy a drink with your wife, I'll be back."

The moment Jabba begins to slide away, Jinn turns to Boba, stepping closer to him so that their chests are nearly pressed together. She places a hand on his shoulder delicately before leaning in to whisper, "I hate him."

Boba lets out a low chuckle, sliding his hand under her robe and placing it right above her lightsaber, thumb brushing across her torso. It takes all of Jinn's energy to maintain her facade, as though she's not screaming internally at how close they are and how he's running his thumb over the side of her torso. "I figured you would. But Jabba seemed impressed," his helmet tips slightly towards her and she's so close now she can see her reflection against the t-shaped visor of his helmet. "You did good."

Jinn flashes Boba a smile, very well aware that are many, many eyes on them. "I'm glad you thought so. So, do we just wait?"

"Yeah, let's take a spot in the back where I usually - _kriff_ ," Boba suddenly hisses, his eyes on someone behind Jinn, " _don't look_ , but Bossk is heading over to us right now."

Oh boy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, Jinn had to deal with a couple of slimy men today. Jabba's overall just gross so it was fun to write him as such.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was SO much fun to write so hopefully you all like it!

Boba

Slave I was quiet. Unnaturally quiet. Sure, Boba and Jinn had times where they would just sit in silence, the comfortable kind, where it felt peaceful and calm and at ease. Now, even the molecules in the air felt tense, like a rubber band right before it snaps in someone's face, just before the breaking point, or a storm about to hit, the sky grey and loud and angry. Right before the chaos, a sort of tenseness where your muscles tighten, joints locking and jaw clenching so hard your teeth might break. Kriff, even Boba felt nervous. Maybe not nervous - okay, maybe a _little_ nervous, but mostly on edge and concerned. Not for himself, but for Jinn. 

After Jabba had dealt with the acquisition who had stole from him and Boba had dealt with Bossk, who was nearly snarling in Bossk's face when he commented on how Jinn looked. _Jabba was right, she_ is _pretty,_ Bossk had said, eyes roving over Jinn. Boba was shocked at how calm Jinn looked, an amused expression on her face and a raised eyebrow. Bossk had asked what she found so funny and Jinn had responded with one word: _you._ He had to hold in a laugh at Bossk's eyes widening. _You can't talk to me that way, girl,_ he had growled out, Jinn still looking completely unfazed. _Yet, you can talk to me the way you just did?_ _If I was a man, would you have called me pretty to my face?_

Boba wasn't expecting her to snap back at Bossk like that but he didn't mind. He actually _liked it._ He _liked_ how she stood up for herself, how she didn't feel like she needed Boba to, of course, he would've if she had asked, but he liked how she took control. How she was confident that _she_ could handle the situation and that she didn't take bullshit. It was _hot._ Ridiculously hot. _You let your wife talk this way to you, Boba?_ Bossk had hissed before Boba had growled at him that he's to call him Fett. Not Boba, Fett. Then, Boba had said calmly, but the threat clear under the smooth current of his voice, _I don't_ let _my wife do anything. She's her own person. You got a problem with that?_ And he had placed his blaster on the table, the threat now as visible as the fear and anger in Bossk's eyes. _That_ got him to leave. Good. 

He doesn't like people who knew him when he was younger. He doesn't like the vulnerability it creates and he doesn't like people knowing _him_ and intimate, personal details about him. He's spent decades creating this tough exterior where nothing scares him, where he isn't the one _with_ fear but _causing_ the fear. This terrifying, heartless, cold and vicious bounty hunter in Mandalorian armor. Having people who know that there was one time when he was just a kid, this small, weak little thing who all he wanted in the entire galaxy was his father back. That's _still_ what he wants, even now. But now, Boba knows what he's doing. Knows the business inside and out and is the best bounty hunter in the entire galaxy. So, he's not a fan of Bossk. He appreciates how he had his back when he was a kid but Boba's not a kid anymore, hasn't _really_ been a kid since he's been ten because he had to grow up so fast. 

But right now, he _doesn't_ know what he's doing with Jinn here. A part of him wishes that his father was still alive so he could ask him what to do but another part of him fears what his answer might be. _Technically,_ she's family since _technically_ they're married. So, in a way it's okay but it's still a fake marriage, so maybe it's not. Or maybe they're in this gray area because Boba's always been good at reading people, always been able to see into the very core of people, what they're truly feeling, what they want, desire, and so forth. He can read every little thing and he can tell that there might be something more between them, these _feelings_ he didn't think he was capable of feeling anymore, and these new ones that if he thinks about them long and hard enough might terrify him. So, while he feels _something_ for the Grey Jedi, he can also tell that she feels something for him too that goes beyond just respect. She's good at hiding her emotions but Boba is better at picking people apart. And despite how it's still hard to read her sometimes, there are _hints_ that are there. She'll blush slightly, a quick flush on her freckled cheeks, when he calls her beautiful, those few times he's had the guts to say it to her face. She'll willingly reach out to grab his hand, blue eyes locked on brown as she squeezes gently, how when she places a hand on his shoulder it lingers just a bit too long, not that he minds, obviously.

Yet, _yet_ there's this fear that deep down, he might just be _wishing_ that this is the case. This self-consciousness he hasn't experienced in a long time that she might not reciprocate whatever it is he's feeling for her. He thinks she does, if he was looking at this analytically, completely devoid of the emotions that have latched themselves onto this attachment he has for her, he would agree that she feels something more for him. But he can't look at this completely analytically because he _has_ an attachment to her. Has _feelings_ for her. He'll acknowledge that because he's not stupid enough to lie to himself, but he refuses to dig deeper for so many reasons.

He has feelings for a Jedi. A _Jedi._ The enemies of his father's people and the enemy of Boba's family. His father had hated the Jedi, maybe not as strongly as Boba has, no personal vendetta, but he had never been a big fan of them. He had told Boba once that he hated the Jedi because they never really helped his people during the Mandalorian Civil War. And by the time that the Jedi _did_ step in, he had lost practically everyone close to him. He killed around twenty Jedi. He had called them hypocritical. They claim to be the enforcers of peace yet where were they when his father's people were fighting each other? And Boba hates the Jedi even more than his father did because it was a Jedi who murdered his father. 

Yet, here he is, sitting across the table from a Jedi, from his _wife_ according to their identichips they picked up two days ago, and all he's thinking is how he's worried about _her._ Because this afternoon, they're meeting in the desert with Darth Vader. They picked up Jinn's mask in Corellia two days ago that also has a voice modulator. It's an interesting thing. A completely silver mask that covers her face, the tinted screen of her eyes where she sees through prevents anyone from even seeing the color of shape of them when looking at her. Besides the eyes, it's completely smooth, molding to the face almost as though it's a second skin. It has designs and swirls carved into it, making it look eery, foreign and intimidating. A good mask to show that you're not someone to fuck with. She needs it.

Three days ago when they were at Jabba's palace, after Jabba had finished 'interrogating' his thief, he had called Boba (who had dragged Jinn in along with him, refusing to leave her outside) to tell him he had a request from someone for a job. Darth Vader needed two of Jabba's best bounty hunters, three now since Boba had told Jabba that wherever he goes, she goes, including hunting bounties. So, now Jinn is finishing her lunch, Boba already done, as she stares with glazed, haunted eyes at nothing. They leave in thirty minutes to meet with Vader. Boba's never really been the biggest fan of him but he respects him enough and Vader respects him. 

His eyes travel to Jinn, who is pushing her plate away, leaning back in her seat. She looks so _small_ right now. So alone and afraid and scared. Not the tough, intense, confident, and powerful warrior he knows her to be but a young woman who has experienced more trauma than someone her age should. He knows that she's relieving memories right now, or at least letting her thoughts derail her, spinning into a thousand 'what ifs.' And all those thoughts that Boba has that he should hate her because she's Jedi fly out of his head at the moment because he realizes and already knows that she didn't _ask_ for any of this. Didn't ask to be Force-sensitive, didn't asked to be raised by murderous, insane Sith parents, didn't asked to be taught to be a Sith, didn't asked to be forced into acts her parents made her commit. She reminds Boba so much of himself. Different stories, but same theme. Although, she's a lot better person than Boba ever will be. She's so much kinder and compassionate and cheerful and still somehow sees the good in the world. And how can he hate her? He can't really. All he can be is grateful. 

He's not good at this, though. Not good at being kind. It's not in his nature, or at least it hasn't been in a long time. "Are you ready?" Boba asks as Jinn barely glances at him before nodding.

"Yeah, yeah, Boba, I'll be fine," she mutters as Boba sighs.

Pushing himself up, Boba walks around the table and kneels, actually _kneels_ in front of her. One knee on the ground and the other pressed against the edge of her seat, trying not to realize with a thrill that he's literally _between her legs._ He cups her face with both of his hands, thumbs brushing across her cheeks as he forces her to look at him. The fuzziness begins to fade from her eyes, melting like frost after the first rays of sun, becoming sharper and kinder. Her hands hover in the air for a moment before grabbing hold of his wrists, gripping onto them gently, so softly, holding onto him as though he's the only thing anchoring her to this world. 

Boba lets out a long sigh, "listen," he begins, swallowing, "I know I'm not always the best at expressing myself or... communicating, really, but I want you to know that I got your back. Okay, you hear me? I got your back, _mesh'la_."

His thumbs brush away the two tears that streak down her cheeks. The air's frozen now, suspended, like two dance partners who haven't begun, waiting for one of them to make the first move. And then she's leaning forward, pressing her lips against his cheek. Boba closes his eyes, trying to savor the feel of her soft lips against his cheek, letting out some broken, haunted sigh before she slides off the chair, now between his legs as she wraps her arms tightly around his neck. He freezes for a moment because the last time he was hugged was when he was ten years old and he's only ever been hugged by one person before. So, he's not sure what to do. But when he feels her body press against him, feeling her chest rise and fall against his as she takes in a deep, slightly shaky breath, and arms tightening around his, he responds. Arms wrapping around her waist, pulling him flush against him as they both cradle each other, clutching at the soft, smooth fabric of her shirt or the rough, harsh cold steel of his beskar armor.

Boba's not a soft person, not a gentle, kind soul. He doesn't let people touch him, doesn't even really _talk_ to people, even shot someone in the shoulder once after they called him by his first name. He's done horrible, unspeakable things. Has done them again and again and again. Has spent decades wielding and carving himself into something as cold and harsh and strong and unbreakable as his own beskar armor. Yet, here he is, clutching onto this _amazing_ and _beautiful_ woman as though she is the most sacred thing in the world, as though she's the most special thing in the entire kriffing galaxy and she truly might be. Here he is, letting her slide one hand against the back of his head, fingers clutching his hair. And no one, no one in over two decades has ever touched his face. Even when he's fucking he doesn't take his helmet off, doesn't even take his armor off. 

Not only is he letting her hug him, letting her press another kiss to his cheek before shoving her face back into the crook of his neck and shoulder, but he _likes_ it. He's never wanted this before, never craved this sort of intimacy because if he let himself want it, it would only make him that much more miserable than he already was. And this sort of intimacy, it creates a vulnerability that he can't let happen, that he _couldn't_ let happen. Yet, he's letting it happen. Letting himself get lost in the feel of her fingers in his hair, her arms around him and it shocks him, surprises him in that moment so much that he nearly misses a breath, nearly chokes on it, that one of the most powerful, strongest, intelligent, and cunning warriors, that one of the most - if not _the_ most - _amazing_ person he has ever met in the entirely galaxy is letting him hold her like this, letting herself be vulnerable. And he's letting himself do the same. 

_Trust._

That's what this is. _Trust._ Scary and oh so dangerous, but also sweet, kind, warm like fire after a rainy day, spreading from the tips of your fingers and toes all the way to the top of your head, making you forget that you were ever cold. That you were ever wet and sad and miserable. And that's hazardous and unpredictable. Wasn't he always told to trust no one? Yet, for some reason, he _feels_ like he can trust her. Knows he can despite his hesitations. 

Finally, they both pull away, but not far enough that they're out of each other's arms. Boba cradles her cheek again with hand, thumb brushing against it gently. He watches cautiously as her hand reaches out, shaking slightly, moving slowly towards him, giving him time to move away if he wants. Then, she presses her fingers against his cheek, softly, hesitantly, waiting to see if he's going to pull back. But he doesn't. So she presses her palm against his cheek now as her other hand reaches his face, fingers tracing the small scars. And he can tell her breathing has increased slightly by the rise and fall of her chest and how her eyes seem to lock onto his. He _wants_ to kiss her, thinks she might want to, but the sound of an alarm going off ruins any chance of that. 

Jinn twitches ever so slightly in surprise, Boba pressing down on his wrist comm to silence the alarm. He glances back at her, face growing more serious as she lets her hands slowly fall from his face. He brushes some loose orange curls from her face, tucking them behind her ear, thumb sliding down her cheek before he sighs.

"It's time, Jinn," he says as she swallows, taking in a deep breath before letting it out, giving him a firm, determined and unwavering nod. Right before Boba stands up, he presses his lips to her forehead, closing his eyes as he hears her let out a sigh that starts out anguished, broken and torn before slowing down, disappearing into the air as it ends with serenity, peace and balance. Boba pushes himself up, holding out his hand as Jinn glances at him for a moment before grabbing it.

"Let's go see your old friend." 

Jinn

Boba and Jinn reach the spot in the desert where they're supposed to meet Vader thirty minutes before the meeting time. They're going to scan the area first before even considering settling in one spot. Boba glances at Jinn, expression unreadable under that helmet of his, but she can feel him reassuring her, sees the way he gives her one small nod before shooting into the air. Jinn walks over to the small outcropping of rocks that stand six feet tall and maybe eight feet wide, sticking out like a sore thumb in an otherwise flat expanse of sand. She walks around it, analyzing everything before realizing that it would be easier if she would just _meditate._ So, she does. Sits down on the rock and meditates, trying to feel for any traps or warning signs that this might be anything other than just a meeting. After fifteen minutes, the sound of a speeder gets Jinn's attention. She opens her eyes to see one in the distance. 

"Boba," she says, pressing down on the button on her beskar vambrace, speaking into it, "someone's coming."

A moment later Boba's landing beside her as Jinn stands up, brushing herself off and feeling slightly vulnerable with her lightsabers not on her. Sure, she still has her swords against her back and blaster holstered to her thigh, but it feels _different_ not having her lightsabers. But it made sense to leave them back on Slave I. They're meeting Darth Vader. If Jinn is trying to pass herself off as anything other than a Jedi or Sith, it's best if she _doesn't_ have lightsabers on her. 

"Who is it?" She asks as the speeder parks next to theirs, making sure to keep their distance a little. "It's not Vader."

"How do you know?" Boba asks, the two staring at the black outline of a being in the driver's seat. 

"I'll explain later," she says, feeling very grateful that her parents taught her Force stealth so she can mask her Force alignment so no Force-sensitive individual can't sense that she has the ability to use the Force. She taps her mask, watching as it zooms in to show a black Wookiee getting out. 

"It's Black Krrsantan," Boba explains in a low voice, leaning slightly closer to her, "he must be the other bounty hunter Jabba sent. Vader asked for two." Black Krrsantan says something in one of the Wookiee languages, Jinn doesn't know what. "Black Krrsantan," Boba says in greeting, nodding his helmet in a sign of respect as the Wookiee climbs on the rock outcropping, slinging a large black bowcaster over his shoulder. The Wookiee glances at Jinn, saying something again. "My wife," Boba tilts his helmet towards Jinn slightly, referring to her, "Dawn Fett. Dawn, this is Black Krrsantan."

Jinn nods her head as the Wookiee does the same. It must look strange, her standing like this, in clothing of all shades of grey with a light grey robe, hood up, showing her silver mask beneath. Black Krrsantan's eyes go to her swords, then her blaster, then back to her swords, tilting his head to his side curiously. He says something again, sounding like a roar or a growl or some sort of garble, a mix of the two. "Most don't," Boba says again, "she's serving as my apprentice until she can get into the Guild." Another noise and Boba considerably stiffens at whatever he said, "that's not the reason why," he growls out. "You better watch your fucking mouth."

Black Krrsantan shrugs, looking unperturbed but recognizing that Boba might very well shoot him if he continues, because he's silent now. The three wait in silence for five minutes until Jinn senses something through the Force. A familiar Force identity, Darth Vader. She makes sure that her Force stealth is working as she sees the Imperial TIE fighter in the distance flying closer and closer to them. It lands a minute later and emerging from it is Darth Vader. 

She grew up around him. Had never really been afraid of him as a kid but always wary. She could _feel_ his power, could feel his anger and fear and hatred that came from the dark side. No one even knows his real name, maybe except Emperor Palpetine but it's always been a mystery. Who the man is behind the mask. Even her parents don't know. Not that they're friends with him, Sith don't really _have_ friends but the three of them get along well enough. Still, it's strange to see him now. Instead of feeling like they've always been on the same side, it feels like they're on opposite sides now. Like someone has drawn a sand in the middle that neither of them want to cross. 

"I thought I asked Jabba for his _two_ finest bounty hunters, not three," Vader says, voice deep and distorted as he observes them. 

"Technically, you're only getting two. Fett here is my apprentice," Boba explains as Vader glances towards Jinn, staring at her. 

Jinn feels panic grip at her but she forces it away, forces anything other than remaining calm, reminding herself of the Force. The Force isn't angry or peaceful or fearful or serene, it just _is._ Just calm, smooth, steady, _balanced._ So, she lets her fear dissipate, float away into nothing as a steadiness and calmness takes over her. And it's easy to calm herself down when Boba is right next to her. It's easy to feel reassured when he's there because _he has her back._ And she trusts him. Vader doesn't know who she is, and Jinn knows that know as he asks, "Fett?"

"My wife," Boba says as Vader is silent for a moment. 

"I didn't know you had a wife, Fett," Vader says, the slight curiosity floating through his voice. 

"I try to keep it that way," he shifts slightly, one hand on his hip while the other hand grips his blaster which hangs by his side. "She's my apprentice so where I go, she goes," and the tone in his voice suggests that that's the end of the story. 

"Jabba says that you're the best, is this true?"

Black Krrsantan says something, followed by Boba saying in a dark, powerful voice, "give us the mission, you'll see."

"I need you, Black Krrsantan, to track down an Imperial agent who the Emperor favors while _Fetts -_ " and Jinn is startled by how he says _Fetts_ instead of Fett, as though they're a family because technically, they are. And she's surprised by how much she _likes_ the way it sounds, how it's said, how it insinuates that they actually _are_ a family. She likes the idea of it and that's dangerous. "I need you two to capture a Rebel Alliance pilot who was associated with a man named Obi-Wan Kenobi," and at the mention of the name, something flows through the Force, familiar yet also alien. She knows this man, somehow, or is somehow connected to him, somehow has some sort of relationship with this man. "And a smuggling vessel known as the _Millennium_ _Falcon_."

"I know the ship, dead or alive?"

"Both are to be apprehended _alive_ ," Vader's helmet turns towards Boba. "No disintegrations. I have need of the pilot."

Black Krrsantan says something again, growling the question as Vader gives him the name of the Imperial agent. He roars before heading back to his speeder, climbing in it and zooming away. "What's the name of this Rebel Alliance pilot you're looking for?"

Vader is silent for a moment, "I... do not know. I assume you _both_ are up to the task."

"Oh, we're up to the task, alright," Boba reassures Vader, the words drawn out slightly. _Confident._ Smug confidence. And if Jinn could see under Boba's helmet, she images that he's smiling right now, all white teeth and canines flashing. The smile of a predator. 

"I expect results," Vader demands as Boba hops off the rock, Jinn following behind. 

"Don't worry, Vader," Boba says in a tone and voice that is _anything_ other than reassuring, "you'll get your results."

Jinn passes by Vader, giving him a nod of her head, so, _so_ grateful for her mask. He does nothing, but she wasn't expecting him to. Vader respects power. And so far, Jinn has given Vader no sign that she's powerful enough to earn his respect. She hasn't given him a sign that she's weak either. She just _is._

The two get in the speeder and it's not until they're twenty minutes away that they both let out a sigh of relief. "That... went better than expected," Boba huffs as the two glance at each other before Jinn lets out this strangled, half-broken and half-amused sort of laugh. The kind where somehow you find yourself having just gotten out of a horrible situation and ended up alright, unable to do anything other than laugh. "Is he always this intense? I've worked with him a couple of times before."

Jinn snorts, "I believe you caught him on one of his good days."

Boba lets out a low chuckle as the sand whips past the window of the speeder, "you best keep your mask on while we hunt this pilot down, just in case. Jobs that don't involve the Empire you can take it off," Boba pauses for a moment, "ever heard of this Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

Jinn tilts her head to the side, "I... would have to meditate on it but... it sounds _familiar._ I could sense it, through the Force, when Vader says his name. _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ," she repeats the name, drawing it out, sounding strange on her tongue yet at the same feeling a sense of familiarity that earlier presented itself, "somehow I'm connected with him through the Force. I don't think _I_ knew him, but maybe my parents or grandfather might've."

"Is he Jedi, then?"

"I... don't know. I would need to -"

"Meditate, yeah."

"So, what's the plan. You said you know this _Millennium Falcon_?"

"Yeah, it's the name of a ship owned by the smuggler, Han Solo. He did some smuggling for Jabba occasionally and owes him a lot of money. He was supposed to pay it back but he apparently went awol and last I heard he helped in the destruction of the Death Star."

Jinn raises her eyebrows. "So, he's a rebel now?"

"Strange, isn't it? I've run into Solo a couple of times and he always struck me as the person who looked out for him and him alone. Rebels aren't exactly like that."

"So... maybe this Rebel pilot is a friend of Solo?"

"Possibly," Boba comments. "But we're headed back to Mos Eisley. Solo frequented there a lot so there's gotta be at least someone who might know where Solo or this Obi-Wan Kenobi is."

"Was," Jinn says before she can stop herself.

"Huh?"

" _Was._ Who this Obi-Wan Kenobi _was_."

"Vader didn't say he was dead."

"He... I believe he is. I can sense it through the Force."

"That Force seems to come in awfully useful sometimes," Boba comments as Jinn smiles at him before realizing that she's still wearing her mask. "Can you sense anything else about this pilot without needing to meditate?"

Jinn shakes her head. "Meditation doesn't always prove fruitful in gaining visions or more information. Sometimes it just _is._ I think it's better if we try your way first before resorting to meditation."

"My way?" Boba asks with a scoff, "it's your way too, now, princess."

"Oh, so I'm a princess now?" Jinn teases as she can sense, even without needing to use the Force, that Boba's smiling under his helmet. 

"You don't like it?"

Jinn pauses for a moment, chewing the inside of her lip, hand resting against the console between their seats, "no, I like it. But I think I like _mesh'la_ more."

Boba chuckles. A deep and beautiful sound, something haunting and terrifying that would send most people running in the other direction but warms something inside of Jinn, making her smile. He lets go of the wheel to grab Jinn's hand, intertwining their fingers. "I do, too, _mesh'la_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, I added more angst in this chapter than was present in the previous ones. Again, this chapter was SO much fun to write and this whole part where Vader meets Boba in the desert and asks him to hunt down Luke is all canon I'm pretty sure, which is super fun to do so I'm thrilled for these next two chapters.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was SUCH a fun chapter to write I hope you guys enjoy it!

Boba

Boba pulls his speeder up to a parking area in Mos Eisley, regretfully letting go of Jinn's hand to park the damn thing. The two glance at each other, Jinn pulling her hood up again and if Boba was anyone else, he would find her terrifying. This beautiful creature is in all grey of different shades and a light grey robe pulled over a mask that is horrifying. It's gorgeous, the detail and swirls carved into it breathtaking in an eery sort of way, changing her voice and covering her face. She looks like something out of a legend, some mysterious creature out of a ghost story. Someone you wouldn't want to piss off. And the two together probably look downright terrorizing. _Dangerous_. That's what they look like. 

And that's what they _are._

He gets out of his speeder, glancing around the busy streets of Mos Eisley and trying to figure out where to start. Jinn walks over and stands next to Boba, pulling on the straps of her sword sheath around her shoulders, adjusting them slightly. The two remain silent for a moment, scanning the streets, both half obscured in the shade of the wall. Boba's silent for a moment, waiting to see if any associates of Solo are nearby and where they would be. Behind him, he hears the sound of chatter and sees in the alleyway four Rodians, looking slightly drunk, stumbling out the back of a cantina. It's in the middle of the afternoon. He rolls his eyes. Boba turns around to face them, gesturing with his helmet for Jinn to follow him as the two walk up to the Rodians, side by side.

The Rodians immediately tense, recognizing Boba and looking alarmed at Jinn, who puts her hands on her hips. "You four," Boba says, voice deeper and rougher through the modulator, "any of you know the name Kenobi?"

The four of them glance at each other warily and as one looks at Jinn, he feels her shift slightly, suddenly more tense and he has a feeling that she's identifying something about them through the Force. Something bad enough to make her uncomfortable and more on edge "Who's asking?" One of the Rodians requests. 

Boba takes a menacing step forward, hand hovering over his blaster holstered to his thigh. " _Us_ ," he growls out. The Rodians glance towards Boba, who is armed with blasters and weapons and is a terrifying thing, as unreadable as his wife next to him. And everyone in Tatooine knows who Boba Fett is. They whisper his name in fear, shake and run in the opposite direction when they see him, even are afraid at the very thought of him. And he's easy enough to identify in his chipped red and green Mandalorian armor. A faceless man but a visible threat. 

"Kenobi?" One of the Rodians asks as another places his hand on top of his blaster by his hip. The Rodian who asked sends a warning glance to the one looking a bit edgy, "he's just some crazy old wizard who lives out in the Dune Sea," he pauses as the air becomes sharper, colder, taut, like the beginning of a warning blowing through the wind. "Why are you looking for this wizard, huh? He's a nobody."

" _We're_ the ones asking the questions here," Jinn snarls, fingers tapping against her waist angrily as the Rodians laugh. 

"Sure, honey," one of them says as Boba clenches his jaw, "we'll tell you where Kenobi is if you show us what's under those robes of yours."

Before Boba can even laugh, Jinn lets out a low, deep and haunting laugh, stepping forward so that she's right in front of the Rodian who said that to her. Boba feels pride surge within him as Jinn stares the Rodian down, whose eyes widen in surprise and fear. He visibly _shakes_ , putting in all his energy to not take a step back. "Don't you mean, where Kenobi _was_?"

It's silent. Completely silent. The air's frozen now, nothing and no one moving. Jinn called them out and now they don't know what to do. Then, Boba sees it. And everything after that happens in a flash. The Rodian in the very back is pulling a dagger out of his pocket. Boba's blaster goes off before the Rodian can even completely remove the dagger from his pocket. The Rodians pause in surprise for a moment before Boba shoots the other two while Jinn beheads the one in front of her. 

The two don't move for a moment, surprised slightly by how quickly this confrontation has turned bloody. "Well," Boba says after a moment as Jinn is sliding her sword back into its sheathe, "that brought us nothing."

"Not nothing," Jinn says, staring at the Rodian she beheaded one more time before turning her head towards Boba, "we know that he lived out in the Dune Sea," she pauses, "and that he was a Jedi."

"What makes you think that?" Boba asks curiously as the two begin to walk away before anyone spots them back to his speeder.

"Most non-Force-sensitive people call us wizards, witches, or sorcerers because to those who don't understand the ways of the Force, that's what it looks like" she explains as Boba opens the window of his speeder. "Where are we headed?"

"Dune Sea. If you need to find someone or something in the Dune Sea, your best bet are asking Jawas."

"Those tiny little things?" Jinn asks as they speed away. 

"Yeah. They pillage and raid and steal everything out there. If anyone knows, it's them," Boba's silent for a moment before clearing his throat. "You uh... you okay back there? Killing that Rodian?"

Jinn scoffs, "I've killed people before and most likely I'll kill people again. Killing some Rodian who wanted to harm me isn't exactly weighing on my conscious. I don't exactly _enjoy_ killing or even want to _do_ it, but sometimes it's necessary. And in this case it was. They were going to attack us, so -" she finishes her sentence with a shrug. But Boba has a feeling she's trying to justify it to herself more than actually just explain it. He turns his helmet to see her clenching and unclenching her fists. 

"I don't enjoy it either, but you're right, sometimes it is necessary. They were going to attack us, you did the right thing," Boba says, voice surprisingly gentle as he reaches across the empty space between them and grabs Jinn's hand. She immediately opens her palm to him, letting him slide his fingers between hers, intertwining them as he brushes his thumb across the back of her hand soothingly. 

Boba feels slightly guilty. She left because she wanted to get away from all of this, from the Empire and the Sith and the violence. She had said that she didn't want that, didn't want that life, but now she's here, working a job for Darth Vader and having just killed someone. Boba knows that it's not the first person she's killed and knows that she's not some apathetic, cold-blooded murderer, but didn't she say she wanted to get away from all this? That she doesn't like it? Yet, she's _here._ With him. _Why?_ And as much as Boba wants to ask her that question, now isn't the time. The two stay silent, both seemingly absorbed with their own thoughts, until they see sandcrawler. 

"Perfect," Boba mumbles as he parks in front of it. The sandcrawler grinds to a halt as the two bounty-hunters get out. 

The Jawas scurry out a moment later, mumbling something in Jawa Trade Talk. "I got some questions for you," Boba says as the Jawas cast what appears to be cautious looks. Good. People always talk more when they're scared. 

"What do you want to know?" One of them asks in Jawa Trade Talk. 

"There's a man who used to live in the Dune Sea, went by the name of Kenobi, know that name?"

The group of Jawas mumble to each other quietly for a moment before facing him. "None of us recognize the name Kenobi," the one who spoke earlier replies. 

"What about a wizard?" Jinn asks, hands on her hips but voice a bit softer than when speaking to the Rodians. Still firm and unrelenting, but not as aggressive and harsh as earlier. 

The Jawas practically shake. "We don't deal with wizards."

"You trade with them," Boba points out, feeling slight frustration start to build up inside of him but he quickly forces it down. 

"Just because we trade with people doesn't mean we like them," another says. "We don't like dealing with wizards. Magic is unnatural -" Jinn snorts. "They cannot be trusted. They are dangerous."

"Yeah, I'm sure an old man is very dangerous," Boba comments, voice hard, glancing at Jinn, who responds with a tilt of her head saying _don't know what else to ask._ "You _sure_ you don't recognize the name? Obi-Wan Kenobi. An old man who used to live out in the Dune Sea."

"We don't know this man. Only idiots live out in the Dune Sea," the Jawa replies as Boba sighs. 

He pulls out his blaster, pointing it at the Jawas, but before he can pull the trigger, he hears an angry hiss next to him, " _Boba!_ " Jinn's hand clamps down on the top of the barrel, " _we don't kill innocents_." Boba glances at her and can tell even under her mask that her eyes are burning, face furious and most likely, no, most _definitely_ angry at him. 

Boba lets out an irritated sigh, breath rushing out sharp and fast. He stares at her for a moment longer before lowering his rifle. The Jawas run away back to their sandcrawler as Boba turns around, already walking back to the speeder. Before he can even reach it, he hears Jinn's enraged voice break through the silence, "what the _fuck_ was that, Boba?"

He whips around to see Jinn rip her mask off, marching over to him and Boba just _blinks_ for a moment because he doesn't remember the last time he just _let_ someone shout and fume at him without repercussions. "You let them go," he says, voice tight as the sandcrawler disappears, leaving them alone in the middle of the Dune Sea. The sky is starting to turn pink now, mixed with blue as the twin suns begin to set. 

"Of _course_ , I let them go. They weren't like the Rodians! They weren't trying to harm us! You can't just shoot them!"

"Yes, I can!" Boba shouts, taking a step towards her. "It's _better_ this way. By killing them, we won't have them running off letting everyone know that we're looking for this Kenobi." Jinn lets out a huff of air, glancing away for a moment. Boba realizes with a pang of guilt and pain that she looks _hurt._ And so his anger abates slightly, washes away because he is realizing just now that he's _hurt_ her, made her feel _something_ that is causing her to look this pained. Boba sighs, long and drawn out. "I'm sorry, okay?" Boba takes another step towards her, moving slow enough that if she wanted, she could step away. But she doesn't. So, Boba takes another step forward, feeling a small bud of hope begin to build in him that she's not moving away. She's still not looking at him, though. "Hey," Boba says in a voice so gentle, he didn't even know he was capable of making it, "I _am_ sorry, okay?"

"Sorry that you tried to kill them?"

Boba swallows. "No," he reaches out and places his gloved fingers around her chin, "but I am sorry that I hurt you." And at those words, she lets him turn his face towards her, eyes softening as she stares at him longer. Boba sighs, using his one free hand to remove his helmet so that he can look at her and so that she can see that he truly is sorry. He moves his hand so that it's cradling her face, pulling her close enough so that he can press his forehead against hers. Boba closes his eyes for a moment, drinking in the small point of contact between them as he hears her take a shaky breath in and let a calm, smooth breath out. She's so close that he can feel her exhale against his face. 

Jinn pulls away a moment later, just enough so that she can look in his face. Boba's eyes lock with hers, waiting for her to speak, his thumb brushing across her cheek. He watches as she reaches up, pulling his hand off of her to cradle it in hers, when she glances up again, her eyes are firm and resolved. 

"I don't care if we kill acquisitions or people who are trying to harm us. It's all part of the job. But, we don't kill innocents? Unless they're an acquisition or trying to hurt us, we don't kill them, clear?"

Boba feels a small bit of pride well inside of him at how strong she sounds, how confident, and _knows_ that she's going to make an amazing bounty hunter. "Understood," Boba nods as she smiles at him, pulling the palm of his hand towards her face as she kisses it and Boba literally _chokes on his breath_. He quickly schools his expression after realizing that he doesn't have his helmet on. 

" _But_ ," Jinn draws out the word giving an exaggerated shrug, her head following the movement in a half circle, "we can still _hurt_ them, we just can't _kill_ them."

Boba lets out a long, deep laugh, moving his hand to squeeze her chin slightly. "That's my girl," he says, deeply enjoying how her cheeks flush slightly, which she attempts to cover with a playful eye roll. 

"Come on, let's go do some more searching," she says, putting her mask back over her face while Boba puts his helmet back on. 

The two speed through the Dune Sea before seeing a moisture farm up ahead. Boba parks as a woman with two young boys glances up at them. Her eyes widen in fear as she shouts something at the boys, who cast the Fetts a fearful look before doing as their mother says. 

"Can I help you?" The human woman asks, looking no older than her mid-forties, with brown hair tied up in a messy bun and tired green eyes.

"We're looking for a man who went by the name of Kenobi, ever heard of him?"

The woman frowns, brows furrowing together. "Kenobi? Can't say that I do."

"Went by the name of Obi-Wan Kenobi, lived out in the Dune Sea, apparently was a wizard," Jinn continues, placing her hands on her hips as the woman's eyes go to her swords. 

"A wizard?" She asks, confusion overtaking her face. "I don't think we have any wizards on Tatooine."

Boba glances at Jinn and he knows that she's trying to repress a snort because she's a wizard on Tatooine, right now. A moment later, Boba watches as the man who must be the father emerges from below, watching the two Fetts hesitantly as he walks over to his wife, wiping his greasy hands on a used rag. 

"Everything alright?" The man asks, body stiff and eyes cautious. 

"They're looking for some man, Keyobi, I think," the wife explains. 

" _Kenobi_ ," Jinn corrects, emphasizing the name. 

"Kenobi?" The father asks, glancing at the wife, confusion etched across their faces.

"He lived out somewhere in the Dune Sea," Boba says.

"They said he was a wizard," the wife says as the father looks confused. 

"A wizard? We don't have any wizards on Tatooine," the father says as Boba forces out a laugh, it's deep and haunting and terrifying, nothing like the laugh Jinn had coaxed out from him only fifteen minutes ago. Boba adjusts his stance, his EE-3 carbine rifle held in his hand, hanging by his thigh and calf. The farmer's eyes go straight to the blaster, glancing at his wife for a moment before looking back at the two of them. "Listen," he begins and Boba is impressed that his voice isn't shaking, "we don't want any trouble. We don't know any Kenobis or wizards."

"Kenobi, someone on Tatooine knows him and who Kenobi's unnamed little associate is. I want that name of the associate, and I don't care who has to _die_ for me to get it," Boba growls out, pointing his rifle at the farmer, whose wife screams. 

"Please, _please!_ We don't know anyone by the name of Kenobi or this associate! We don't! I swear! Please! Don't hurt my family!" The farmer gets on his knees, placing his hands together as he begs. Boba lets out a displeased growl, mumbling, "pathetic."

Boba feels Jinn's hand press upon his shoulder as she leans in to whisper, "we should bring the children out, I know a way to make the whole family not remember anything that has just happened." Boba turns his head to look at Jinn, who gives him a small, reassuring nod. 

"Alright," Boba says, "go get the kids. I'll keep an eye on the wife and husband."

"Wait," the mother begins, turning her eyes desperately towards Jinn, getting down on her knees. "Please, please, _please_ don't hurt out kids, _please_!"

Jinn pauses in front of the mother, hands on her hips as she scoffs. "Calm _down_ , I'm not going to _hurt_ them," she turns her head to look at Boba, "I'll be out in a minute or two, tops."

Boba nods, watching Jinn disappear as the wife begins to cry. He rolls his eyes, _weak_. The mother covers her face, sobbing into her hands. Boba considers knocking her out just to get her to shut up but apparently Jinn needs her conscious. About a minute later, Jinn emerges, swords still sheathed. "How'd it go?" Boba asks as the mother and father glance towards Jinn. 

"Won't remember _anything_. They're knocked out cold," Jinn explains as the mother gives a shuddering gasp. 

Boba watches as Jinn kneels down in front of the father, holding two fingers pressed together in the air as she waves them in front of his face, saying, "you don't remember anything that has happened in the past half an hour." Boba watches in shock as the father repeats what she just said, eyes suddenly dazed. "You don't know anyone by the name of Obi-Wan Kenobi," she pauses, waiting for him to repeat, "when you wake up, you will not feel any different or notice that anything's different."

After Jinn finishes with the father, who falls to the ground with a thud, completely knocked out, she turns to face the mother, who gasps, "you're - you're a wizard? That's why you're looking for the wizard? Because _you're_ one?"

"Not exactly," Jinn mutters before doing the exact same that she did with the father to the mother. After the mother passes out, Jinn stands up, brushing the sand and dust off of her pants. 

"Impressive," Boba admits as he figures that Jinn's beaming at him under that mask, knows she is now with the small tilt of her head. She always does that. Whenever she smiles, _really_ smiles, beaming at him brighter than the Tatooine suns, she tilts her head to the side slightly. He realizes in that moment that he doesn't like the mask because he can't see her face and if he can't see her face, then he can't see that beautiful smile of hers. The less jobs not involving the Empire, the better, he figures, if only so he can see her smile more. And it's ridiculously, pathetically soft, but he really doesn't care.

"It's easy enough to learn but tricky to master," she explains as they jump back in the speeder. "So, we've hit three dead ends. What do we do now?"

"Now? We head back to Mos Eisley."

Jinn

"I know this place," Jinn says as she and Boba walk towards the cantina she wasn't in that long ago. "This is the place where we met that smuggler and you asked me to stay with you."

"I remember," Boba says and just from the tone, she can deduce that it's warm and wonders if he's smiling under that helmet of his. "This was one of Solo's frequent establishments. This cantina is the place where most of Tatooine's scum and villainy goes to drink."

"Do _you_ ever go to drink here?" Jinn asks as Boba pauses outside the entrance. 

"Are you calling me scum?" His voice is harsh and if Jinn didn't know any better, she would have thought that he was genuinely angry. But she _knows_ that he's teasing, can tell so by the small tone of his voice that gives it away, something that she's been able to deduce in these past two weeks. 

"You? _Never_ ," she responds playfully with a roll of her head. 

Boba lets out an amused grunt, sliding his hand under her hood to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You're lucky you're so cute," he mumbles before freezing as though he realized what he just said. Jinn's stomach swoops, feeling like she's positively _floating_ because _he just called her cute._

"Well," she steps forward, placing a hand on Boba's armor, just over his chest, "you're not too bad yourself."

Boba lets out a deep chuckle, body relaxing slightly as he lets his hand slide down so that his fingers are pressed against her neck, thumb brushing _just_ under her chin, where there is no mask. She can't help a shiver that runs through her and she _knows_ Boba notices from the way his hand stills, how he seems to not be moving, helmet tilting to the side slightly. And then he does it again, feeling her swallow heavily under his fingers. Jinn splays her fingers against his armor, letting it slide down his front, letting a smile spread across her face and grateful that her mask can hide it. She feels a thrill run through her when Boba's breath hitches slightly before she retracts her hand, tipping her head to the side slightly. 

A surge of confidence runs through her as she bravely says, "so, are you going to stay here and continue feeling me up or are we going to head inside."

Boba lets out a deep, positively _ruinous_ chuckle that sends a thrill running through Jinn, especially when he brushes his thumb under her chin again. "As much as I would _thoroughly_ enjoy taking you up on that offer, we _do_ have a job to do."

"Who said I was offering?" Jinn teases. Boba lets his hand slide out from under her hood, sliding over her shoulder and down her side before grabbing her waist. He hesitates for a moment before grabbing her flesh, squeezing tightly as he runs his thumb just over her hip bone. 

"Oh, I _know_ you're offering," he says, voice lowering an octave, turning deeper and rougher. Jinn hums noncommittally as Boba responds with a "later."

"You make it sound like a promise," she points out as Boba squeezes her hip roughly before letting go.

"Oh, it _is_ a promise, _cyar'ika_."

"Good, I'd hate to find out that you're not a man of your word," Jinn teases.

Boba stares at her for a long, long moment, brushing his thumb under her chin one last time before mumbling, "oh, I _am_ , _mesh'la._ Only question is, are you?"

"I was born and raised a Sith, so, no -" Boba snorts in amusement, "but in this case, I most certainly am."

"We'll see," he comments before gesturing with a quick movement of his helmet for the two to walk inside. 

It's louder and more crowded than it was when Boba and Jinn were here a couple of days ago. Jinn suspects that it's more disorderly and rumbustious in the evening than during the day. At first, people don't notice when they walk in, all too preoccupied with their conversations or for a few couples, too preoccupied with locking lips to notice when Jinn and Boba first walk in. However, it's only after they get a couple of steps into the cantina that the conversations begin to die out, sputtering out like a droid whose battery is dead or an oil lamp that's out of oil. Gone. The energy sucked right out. And the air, which was once cheerful and boisterous is suddenly tense, so thick that Jinn could cut through it with a lightsaber. The two walk to the center of the room where the bar is, standing in front of it to face all the criminals. 

"Go ahead," Boba says in a low voice to Jinn, who clears her throat, clearing her mind and dissolving her nerves. 

"We're looking for a boy, an associate of an Obi-Wan Kenobi. We're not leaving until we get his name," Jinn says, voice strong and firm, the modulator changing it slightly so that it sounds a bit haunting, something that would cause shivers to run down her spine if she had heard it. 

The cantina is silent for a long moment before a human male sitting at a table with another human and two Rodians breaks out laughing. "Sure, honey," he chuckles as Jinn clenches her jaw. "If you're going to be here a while, why don't you give us a little dance."

The men at the table and a couple of other men chuckle, the room becoming less tense, although there are still a fair few number of criminals who have kept their mouths shut, smart enough to know not to insult or laugh at someone who walks into a bar with _the_ Boba Fett. Jinn sighs, the noise loud and weary as she begins to walk over to the man. 

"Are _all_ men this insufferable?" She asks, stopping when she faces the man, who spreads his legs wider as Jinn resists the urge to gag. "Or is it just you?" One moment, he's sitting there all smug, legs open and arm resting on the table lazily, the next moment, he's screaming at the top of his lungs, pain clenching and choking in his throat as all eyes go to the sword that is imbedded in his hand, the tip of it poking out from under the table. Jinn leans closer as the room falls completely silent, staring at the man furiously, "what gives you that right to speak to a woman that way, huh?"

The man stops screaming at her tone, but is whimpering in pain, glancing up at her, brown eyes wide in pure, unadulterated fear. 

"My wife asked you a question," Boba says calmly as the man nearly shits himself right there. His eyes widen, mouth opening in _horror_ because he's realizing that he just insulted _Boba Fett's kriffing wife._ The most dangerous bounty hunter in the galaxy, a man whose reputation has been built on blood, sweat, fear, and pure skill, has a wife, who he just _insulted._ Jinn smirks, unable to help it even though he can't see her face under her mask. 

"I - I - my... my apologies, Mrs. Fett," he chokes as Jinn rolls her eyes. 

"Fett is fine. What's your name?" She asks as the man swallows heavily. 

"J-Jacive," he stutters. 

"Jacive, you know a boy associated with an Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

The man shudders and Jinn's guessing that he's in quite a lot of pain right now. "I - I don't know an _Obi-Wan_ Kenobi but I know a _Ben_ Kenobi." Jinn glances behind at Boba for a moment, checking to make sure he heard the man, 

"Yeah," his human friend quickly adds, glancing worryingly at his companion, "he's just some crazy old wizard who lives out in the Dune Sea."

"Know his friend? This boy associate of his?"

"We - we don't know any boy who knows Old Ben. He's a hermit, doesn't have any friends."

"You're not lying to me now, are you?"

"We, we _swear_ , Fett, we're not!" The human friend reiterates. 

Jinn sighs before turning her head towards the human whose sword she has through his hand, "you ever going to speak to another woman like that again?"

"No - no, I - I _swear_ , I won't. I promise, Fett."

Jinn leans back, "good," she says before pulling the sword out of the human's hand as he gives a strangled yelp of pain. "Get out of here," she mutters, rolling her eyes and she sheathes her sword. When she turns around to glance at Boba, she sees two women, a Twi'lek and a human, sitting at a booth in the back share an impressed look, small, smug smiles forming on their faces. _Serves him right._ Jinn walks back over to Boba, making sure her moves are confident, at ease, looking as though she's as intimidating as she has just tried to prove. Boba tilts his helmet to the side slightly as if to ask _you alright?_ Jinn gives a small nod of her head to assure him that he's fine. To anyone else, she realizes, they wouldn't have known what they were communicating about. She feels slightly warm and a small bit of pride at the fact that the two can communicate with each other, knowing what each other are actually saying and asking, _without saying a word._

"So," Boba says, clasping his right hand over his left wrist, positively _exuding_ power and confidence, "before we go any further, does anyone here have something they'd like to say?"

Jinn places her hands on her hips, watching as the patrons of the cantina stare at them, fear in all of their eyes, the air somehow tenser than before, if that was even possible. They're just _staring_ at them, as though they're too shocked by what has just happened to formulate coherent thoughts, much less express them into actual words. 

"You, hammerhead!" Boba points at an Ithorian male, "speak up! You know this boy? He's a pilot, an associate of this _Ben Kenobi_ and a -"

"The only boy I see here is _you_ , Fett," a deep voice echoes through the cantina as Jinn straightens considerably, resisting the urge to shout at whoever had the audacity to just say that.

Boba's silent for a moment, body tense and muscles clenched as though he's ready to attack, "who said that?"

" _I_ did," the voice says again, standing up to reveal a six-armed, over two and a half meter tall alien approach. When the alien stops in front of Boba, he _towers_ over him, nearly two heads taller than him.

Jinn watches as Boba sizes up the alien for a moment before saying one word, "good."

The alien swings as Boba quickly dodges, hitting him in the side. Boba jumps out of the way as the alien turns, fists swinging as Boba goes behind him, punching him in the back as the alien lets out a roar that is half-pain and half-fury. Jumping back to where he was originally standing, Boba _rips_ one of the arms off the alien. Jinn catches her gasp before it can come to fruition, not because she was horrified that Boba ripped his arm off but because she wasn't expecting well, _that_ , and because Boba is _literally strong enough to rip a giant, muscular being's arm off of him._ Those same hands that were so gently and affectionately touching her chin, neck, and waist earlier has torn a man's arm from his body. The bloodied arm falls to the ground as Boba quickly overpowers the beast, breaking two of his arms in the process before slamming him onto the cold concrete ground, pressing him stomach-down to the floor as the man foams at the mouth, screaming loudly in pain and fury and disbelief. 

"I've just removed one of this thing's arms and broken two others," Boba explains calmly as though nobody is not well aware of what just happened, "who here knows this boy's name?"

"We don't know it, Fett," the bartender says in a voice as though he's placating some wild animal.

" _Three_ arms broken," Boba repeats over the roar from the alien. 

"The _name_ ," Jinn says loudly over the growling from this creature, "we need a _name._ I suggest that you give it."

"We don't," the bartender voices again as Jinn turns to look at the bartender. She gives the bartender a small nod of her head as if to say _go on_ , _you must know something._ The bartender swallows before continuing, "Kenobi came in here not too long ago with some kid nobody'd ever seen before. He looked like some farmer's brat, couldn't have been a day over nineteen or twenty. We didn't know the boy. None of us do."

Suddenly, someone sitting at the bar stands up, stumbling in his haste to get up and rushes past the patrons, pushing one roughly to the side who shouts back at him. Boba jumps up, firing a length of fibercord that wraps around the person. They let out a scream as they fall hard to the ground, the noise they let off is too high for a man's but deep enough that he's at least somewhat grown up. Must be a teen. And when he turns around to face Boba and Jinn, eyes wide, he looks to be in his late teens. 

"Don't hurt me! I don't know anything!" The teen sputters as Boba faces him, Jinn casts him a look as if to say _be careful, he's still a kid._

"You knew enough to run. Let's start with that," Boba growls pulling on the fibercord as the boy is dragged across the ground before Boba hauls him up onto the table where the man Jinn had stabbed had been sitting with his friends. Boba unclamps the fibercord from his vambrace and ties the boy to the table, tugging tightly to make sure that he's secure. 

" _What is his name_?" Boba growls, grabbing the kid roughly by the shoulders. 

"I - I don't _know!_ " The boy sputters, tears falling down his cheeks.

"You _will_ tell me."

Jinn glances at the bartender to see him throw her a terrified look, concern for the boy etched across his face. She sighs, walking over to Boba, placing a hand gently on his shoulder to get his attention. "It's best if we talk to him outside in the back," Jinn says as Boba nods, untying the boy from the table before tying him up again. Boba pushes the boy roughly through the crowd until they get to the back door. Jinn kicks the door open with her foot, stepping out first and holding the door open for Boba and the boy to get through. She lets the door close loudly behind them as Boba shoves the boy against the end of the dead end, just one small alleyway that stops at the end, a small brick wall as Jinn and Boba face the boy, blocking off his only escape exit. Boba points his blaster at the boy. 

" _The name_ ," he repeats. 

"I - I don't _know_ , I _swear_!"

Jinn places a hand on Boba's blaster, pushing it down slightly as he lowers it. The boy glances to Jinn with wide eyes as she walks over to the boy, kneeling down so that her face is level with him. "Listen," she begins, forcing her voice to become gentle, more feminine, softer, "all we need is the name and then you can go, okay? We don't want to hurt you like the other two, yeah? All we need is a name."

"And - and I can go? Just like that?"

Jinn nods, "just like that."

The boy takes in a shaky breath, "his - his name is Luke Skywalker. He was a moisture farmer, just like me, we grew up together. He's from Tatooine, raised by uncle and aunt out in the Dune Sea but they're dead. Home burned down and took the two with them."

"Do you know where we can find Skywalker?" Boba asks. 

"No, I haven't seen him since a little before his aunt and uncle died."

"What about this Obi-Wan? Know where he lived?"

"Yeah, he lived in an abandoned moisture prospector's home out in the Jundland Wastes, situated in the bluff surrounded by the Western Dune Sea. It's maybe a 130 kilometers west of Luke's old home, we used to go by it sometimes, you can't miss it. I - I gave you everything I know. Can - Can I go, now?"

"Don't worry," Jinn begins, reaching out with her hand, "you can go, but first we're going to make sure you forget the name Skywalker."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad I finally got to write a bit more flirting between them. It's only been like two weeks so there hasn't been a lot but I'm definitely planning on upping the flirting and unresolved sexual tension between the two of them.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jinn finally figures out who Obi-Wan Kenobi is and her relationship to him while Boba has an interesting encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this was SO much fun to write I had a blast. Hopefully you enjoy it

Jinn

She can sense it, right away, when they pull up outside of Kenobi's home. There's something so _familiar_ there, almost like it's calling her name. Jinn immediately begins marching towards the home, wondering what exactly _is_ it about this Kenobi person that she can sense this feeling about through the Force. She's trying to focus on the feeling but it's still distant, hazy and grainy, like an old memory that has been partially washed away, faded from the waves of time. But before Jinn can enter the home, Boba's grabbing her wrist and pulling her gently to a stop. 

"Woah, woah, woah, hold up," he says hurriedly, "we gotta check to make sure no one's inside first."

"Oh," Jinn mutters, cheeks heating as she feels slightly embarrassed about her mistake, "right. Well, I can just check, can't I?"

"You're not going inside first."

"No, I mean, I can check to see if there are any lifeforms inside while out here."

"This Force stuff is surprisingly useful," Boba comments as Jinn smiles from the words 'Force stuff.'

Jinn closes her eyes, stretching out with the Force to feel for any lifeforms around. She can sense Kenobi's home, sense around it, for miles and miles, but no one, nothing in sight. The home is completely empty. "No one's inside it or even around here for miles."

"Good, let's head inside, see if we can find anything that'll lead us to this Skywalker. Maybe you can discern something through the Force," Boba explains as he kneels at the entrance to the place and attaches a remote alarm to the door. He removes the safety from his rifle, turning on the flashlight attached to it before pushing the door openly gently. "Get out your swords, just in case. Stick behind me. As soon as I get in, I'm going to look left, I want you to get in right after me and check right, got it?"

"Got it," Jinn repeats as she removes her Force-imbued swords from their sheathes. 

Boba jumps through the entrance and into the opening of the room, twisting to the left as Jinn leaps in after, her back facing his as she looks to the right, swords in front of her as a shield. "Don't see anyone," Jinn says as Boba turns through the small hut, shining his light around the small, circular decrepit room. Boba moves slowly through the room, avoiding the broken and smashed furniture as the two make their way to the kitchen, checking it quickly to show no one and no traps either. 

"All clear," Boba affirms as he removes the flashlight from his rifle to look around while Jinn sheathes one of her swords, using the other as a light. "This place is a mess."

"No Jedi would ever have their place so disorderly. Someone's already been here."

"My guess is Tusken raiders. They tend to do this and they've never exactly been neat. Do you... _sense_ anything?"

Jinn makes a noncommittal noise before sitting down cross-legged on the ground, placing her sword across her lap. Closing her eyes, she reaches out through the Force, trying to feel if there's a particular item that might be helpful. Nothing. Then, she feels it. A small tug, like she's holding onto a string and someone's pulling on it. Jinn opens her eyes, waving her hand to make a pathway through the rubble. Jinn walks through the pathway to find what she's looking for: a leather-bound tome. Kneeling down, Jinn reaches to grab it and the moment her fingers brush against it, she's pulled into a vision. 

Flashes, a black and red Dathomirian Zabrak, pacing back and forth. Her grandfather, Qui-Gon and a young Padawan with auburn-brown hair and grey-blue eyes, battling the Zabrak. The Zabrak's red lightsaber going through her grandfather. The young Padawan cradling her grandfather as he died. 

_Obi-Wan_ , her grandfather whispers to the Padawan, _promise... promise me you will train the boy._

 _Yes, master,_ the Padawan replies. 

" _He..._ is _the Chosen One... He_ will _bring balance. Train him..._

Jinn's eyes fly open as she gives an unnaturally loud gasp, like someone who has been underwater for too long and has just had to resurface for air. She drops the book in shock, hearing distantly Boba say her name. Then, someone kneels down next to her, placing a gentle hand on her arm. 

"Jinn," Boba begins cautiously, "what's wrong?"

"He... he was my grandfather's Padawan."

"Obi-Wan?" 

Jinn nods, glancing at Boba as she begins to come back to herself more. "Yeah, _that's_ why this Obi-Wan sounds so familiar. He was my grandfather's apprentice."

"Did you see anything else?" Boba asks as Jinn sits down on the floor with a sigh. 

"Only my grandfather's death and his dying request to Obi-Wan to raise some boy who was apparently the Chosen One."

"Was this boy the Skywalker boy?"

"No," Jinn shakes her head, "my grandfather died thirty-two years ago. This boy who he was referring to must be someone else. As to who... I've got no idea."

Suddenly, the sound of beeping from Boba's vambrace gets their attention. "Someone's outside," he whispers, "get to the kitchen while I'll hide by the entrance. When I give the signal, shut your eyes, don't open them until the flash grenade has gone off."

"Gotcha," Jinn nods as the two scurry quietly to their positions. 

It's silent for a moment, the room cloaked in darkness as the sky outside is bathed in hues of pink and purple, the sun beginning to rise. It shocks Jinn for a moment that they've spent the entire night hunting for this Skywalker kid. Then, they hear chatter and the sound of a man, still slightly young, talking. At the door, the outline of a man and a R2 unit appear. 

"All I feel is anger and frustration, R2," the young man expresses, speaking to his droid, "and something tells me that's not the path to becoming a Jedi -" Jinn chokes down on a gasp. The person at the door is a _Jedi?!_ Or at least on the path to becoming one. "But I don't even _know_ what that path is. I have a feeling that Ben left something behind for me here to help me find this path, whatever it may be."

As the boy walks in, Jinn and Boba flatten themselves against the wall. This has _got_ to be Skywalker. From the sunlight that shines into the room, bathing it in shades of orange, Jinn can tell that he's tall with fair skin and sandy blonde hair. Looks young too, about as young as that moisture farmer teen, maybe a little bit older. 

"Wow, look at this _mess_ , R2. I'm guessing the sandpeople did this. Hopefully they didn't take off with anything too valuable. Start scanning around to see if you can find anything interesting."

The R2 unit turns on the light as it begins to weave through the spilled, cracked, and destroyed items cascaded across the floor. 

"Why would Ben spend all these years on _Tatooine_ of all places? After everything he must've seen and done... to go _here_ of all places? Was he hiding? Keeping an eye on _me_? But even if that was the case, what did he _do_ here?" 

As Skywalker begins to search through the hut, the sound of his R2 unit going off gets his attention. Skywalker stands up and walks over towards R2, who is near the kitchen, causing Jinn to flatten herself further against the wall. The boy leans down to see the book Jinn was looking at, reading off the title, "for Luke..."

Jinn glances at Boba to see him tap the center of his visor, signaling for her to close her eyes. Jinn does as she's told, waiting in silence for the moment before the loud sound of Boba's flash grenade goes off, shaking the small hut. A moment later, Jinn opens her eyes, pulling out both swords as she faces Skywalker, who is lying on the ground, shaking his head. Boba walks behind Skywalker, pointing his rifle at him as the two Fetts head him off. She feels hesitant and scared, not scared _of_ Skywalker but scared _for_ him. Vader wants him alive and if Skywalker is Force-sensitive... she doesn't know if she _wants_ to turn him over to Vader. There's some deeper level of loyalty that is almost screaming at her not to turn over one of her own kind to a mutual enemy, the enemy of _their_ people. They're supposed to be united. Not... not turning each other over for some profit. She doesn't know if can betray her own kind. Not when they've done no wrong against they're people. 

"R2! What happened?" Skywalker asks as his R2 unit lays on the ground, having been short-circuited by the flash grenade. "I can't see!"

Boba marches over to Skywalker, who can't hear the footsteps over his panic before Boba smashes the butt of his rifle into Skywalker's face. Skywalker lets out a yelp of pain followed by a, "what _was_ that?"

" _That_ ," Boba reveals, voice deep and rough and _terrifying_ , "was the butt of a rifle that's now pointed at your head. Stay down," Boba pauses for a moment, " _Skywalker_."

"Sky... who?" Skywalker mumbles, rubbing his head before whipping around and punching Boba in the stomach. Boba doesn't move, barely even reacts as Skywalker lets out a shout mixed with pain and frustration. 

"Don't waste our time."

" _Our_? What the kriff are _Stormtroopers_ doing out here?"

"You'd have to ask the Stormtroopers," Boba responds as Skywalker's face changes, mouth dropping and eyes widening, despite still being blind, as he realizes who they are.

" _Bounty hunters?!_ "

"Don't move."

 _"Bounty hunters_ are after me? What _was_ that? Did you set off a flash grenade?"

Jinn can sense that Boba's starting to get annoyed by all the questions Skywalker is asking. "Don't _move_ , Skywalker," Jinn warns, finally speaking up. 

"You're not going to kill me, are you?" Jinn raises her eyebrows. The boy's smart, at least, but not smart enough to do as he's told. Or maybe he's stalling by coming up with a plan. Probably the latter. Jedi and Sith have always both been good at getting out of tricky situations. "Because if you were, you already would've done so. Which means that you need me alive. Who _hired_ you?"

Boba marches over to look and kicks him firmly in the face. Skywalker's head snaps back as he falls back against the ground, groaning. "You could've walked," Boba growls, "but I can just as easily carry you to our ship."

Skywalker swings on the ground, pulling something from his robes as he stands up, igniting a blue lightsaber. Jinn marches behind Skywalker and kicks him in the back. Skywalker lets out a yelp of surprise as he turns and backs up, somehow dodging the rubble as the two bounty hunters stand next to each other. She can feel his fear through the Force. 

And his determination.

"I'm not going _anywhere_ with you."

"What are you going to do? Fight us blind? You couldn't fight even one of us if you could see."

"A Jedi doesn't need eyes to fight," Skywalker bravely reminds. 

Boba scoffs, casting a glance at Jinn before looking back at Skywalker. "You're no Jedi."

Suddenly, Jinn feels his _power_ through the Force as her stomach clenches. Boba isn't taking this boy as seriously as he should be. "But he's strong with the Force," Jinn shoots a meaningful look at Boba before adjusting her swords in her hands. Boba seems to pick up that Jinn's identified something and straightens his back, changing his posture. 

"You... _you're_ a Jedi?" Skywalker's mouth drops open. Boba takes a menacing step forward, looking ready to attack Skywalker, but Jinn reaches out and grab's Boba's arm.

"Not exactly," Jinn responds to Skywalker as Boba shoots her a warning look, or what she assumes to be a warning look. "It's no use," she says more gently to Boba, "he already knows."

"She's right," Skywalker agrees, "I can sense her ability to use the Force. But... if you're not a Jedi, that... that means you're a _Sith_."

"Not anymore."

Before Boba can even react, Skywalker swings his lightsaber towards the two. Boba and Jinn jump back in order to avoid to blow. Skywalker swings again, but this time Jinn steps forward, blocking his lightsaber with her two swords. The two begin to briefly duel, Skywalker holding his ground but his moves lazy, unpracticed. Just as Jinn is about to disarm him, Skywalker reaches out with his free hand. Jinn feels the Force _push_ her backwards as she goes flying through the air she quickly reached out with her hands to use the Force to stop herself before she smashes into the wall. She gasps as she falls to the floor, Boba shouting something, the force of the push having knocked the wind out of her. Jinn lets out a broken inhale, gasping for air as she clutches her stomach, trying to push herself up on shaky arms. 

Boba fires his grappling hook but Skywalker cuts it in half with his lightsaber. Jinn uses the Force to shove Skywalker back as he goes flying into the wall, hitting into it hard as he groans. As Jinn stands up, she ignites her two lightsabers as Skywalker reaches out with his hand, his own lightsaber flying into his hand. Skywalker swings again, causing Boba to back up and stumble over the R2 unit, knocking him to the ground. 

"Your armor makes too much noise," Skywalker notices. 

"So does your mouth," Boba spits back. 

Skywalker makes to run at Boba but Boba reveals blades from the side of his vambrace, slicing at Skywalker's face. The boy falls back to the ground as Jinn walks next to Boba. "You're running out of options, and blood," Boba says, pointing his rifle at Skywalker. "Put down the lightsaber."

"Ben would _never_ ," Skywalker mumbles. 

"Kenobi's _dead_ , boy. He can't help you anymore."

"He already has." Skywalker readies his lightsaber but before he can get back up on his feet, Boba shoots him in the shoulder. 

"You were right, kid, we _are_ meant to take you in alive. But alive only means _breathing_."

"A Jedi..." Skywalker shakily stands up, "can feel the Force through him."

Skywalker swings but Jinn blocks it before it can hit Boba. She grimaces as he presses down on her lightsabers hard but she uses the strength of her two lightsabers to push him back. Skywalker stumbles, nearly tripping on his feet as Boba shoots at him again but in a stunning twist, Skywalker blocks the blaster shot, propelling it back at Jinn. Boba uses his jetpack to shoot forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Jinn to force her out of the way. Jinn drops her lightsabers in shock as they go flying through the air. Boba turns around just before they run into the wall, setting Jinn gently on her feet before using his jetpack to run himself into Skywalker. The two slam into each other hard as they land to the ground, each reaching for Skywalker's fallen lightsaber. Just as Boba's hand wraps around it a box Jinn hadn't noticed goes flying through the air, hitting Boba in the head _hard,_ knocking him unconscious. 

Jinn lets out a scream, it's loud and broken and _terrified_ , a haunted thing, using her hand to push Skywalker back as he goes flying into the wall. She runs over to Boba but before she can get there, dodges a swing from Skywalker. "What are you _doing_?!" Jinn roars, facing him. 

"What am _I_ doing?! What are _you_ doing?! We're supposed to be on the same side!"

"We _are_! You think I'm actually going to turn in a Jedi?" Jinn kneels down to press her fingers against Boba's throat, feeling an immense amount of relief at the sign of his steady pulse. She lets out a shaky sigh.

"How should I know?! I don't even know you!"

"I'm not a Sith!" Jinn shouts, face hot and eyes burning, " _I_ didn't betray our kind! As soon as I found out you were a Jedi I was going to find some way to free you!"

Skywalker's silent for a long moment before he turns off his lightsaber. "You're actually telling the truth," he whispers, as though if he spoke any louder, it would somehow negate his realization of Jinn's honesty. She watches as the R2 unit zooms over to his master, handing him Kenobi's book. 

"Listen," Jinn clears her throat as she gently and delicately brushes some dust off of Boba's helmet before pulling his head into her lap. "I'm going to help you out, but you gotta do the same for me, okay? You gotta promise me, kid."

"I promise," he says as Jinn can sense his honesty through the Force. 

"Good. Listen, Vader's the one who hired us. He's looking for you. For our sake, we gotta give him your name, but be very grateful that we're not giving him you. You might be a good fighter but you're nowhere near a match for me, at least while you're untrained and _especially_ not Vader. I've _seen_ him fight. So, my advice is to not go wandering off alone. You got anyone to help hide you or at least watch your back?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Go do that. Now, what I need from you is for you to tell no one about me being Force-sensitive, huh? You're not the only one the Sith are after. You can tell people about your encounter with two bounty-hunters but you can't tell _anyone_ , and I mean _anyone_ about the fact that I'm Force-sensitive, yeah? Can you do that for me, kid? Believe me, I wanna protect as many remaining Jedi left as possible. The Sith are strong and dangerous, and they're in power. They have the entire force of the Empire behind them. We gotta protect as many of them from the Empire as possible because -" Jinn takes in a deep breath, "I've seen what the Empire does to Jedi and it's not pretty. We gotta protect them, you understand me, kid? And you can't tell anyone about me."

"I promise to not tell anyone about you being able to wield the Force and to help protect the remaining Jedi," Skywalker pauses for a moment, his voice softening and turning surprisingly kind, "you should come with me. I'm a pilot in the Rebellion, we could use someone like you. And... and you could train me. I need a master."

Jinn gives Skywalker a rueful smile that he can't see. "Unfortunately, my understanding of the Force would prevent me from properly training you. I draw my power from both the light and dark side of the Force. It's very rare and is dangerous when taught to people who don't have my unique skill. But there _are_ other Jedi out there. I don't know anyone else, but I know that there _are_ other Jedi out there who could help you in this endeavor. I can't. I'm sorry, kid."

"You should still come with me. We could use a powerful Jedi like you in the Rebellion. And we could help protect other Jedi and Force-sensitive kids from the Empire."

Jinn sighs wearily, removing her mask as Skywalker blinks. She can tell that his sight is coming back as the two lock eyes. She looks at him for a moment longer before glancing down at Boba, thumb brushing gently across his helmet. 

"I can't leave him."

"You love him," he points out as Jinn snorts. 

"It's far too early for that, kid. Don't know him well enough or long enough to do so," she takes in a shaky breath, "but I do care about him," she admits honestly, "and I know that he's the only person alive in this godforsaken galaxy to actually care about me. I can't... I can't let that go. I'm sorry, kid, but I can't go with you. However, if you ever need my help, you'll figure out a way to contact me and if I ever run into any Jedi along the way, I'll figure out a way to send them to you."

Skywalker's eyes soften as he looks at her. "And if you ever need my help, I'm sure you'll figure out a way. I'll keep my offer standing, in case you ever decide to give up the bounty hunting business and join us. I might even let your friend come if he promises to not give us any trouble."

Jinn lets out a small laugh as she smiles at Skywalker. "Go on, get out of here, kid." Skywalker nods, looking at her one last time before turning around. When he gets to the door, Jinn speaks up again, "Luke," the boy turns around to look at her, "may the Force be with you."

Skywalker smiles at her before giving her a nod of his head as he and his R2 unit head out. Jinn watches as their speeder takes off, disappearing over the horizon as the two twin suns rise about the sand, casting the room into a bright yellow light. Jinn pulls off Boba's helmet to see him still unconscious. She places her hand against his temple, closing her eyes as she uses the Force to wake him up. 

Boba

Boba jolts awake with a gasp, eyes widening and heart racing as he glances around the room hurriedly, body already tense and ready to attack. But no one's there, Skywalker's gone. It takes Boba another moment to realize that someone's holding him but it's too gentle and tender for it to be Skywalker. Boba turns his head, already feeling it begin to throb painfully where whatever the kriff it was hit him, to see Jinn smiling down at him. She looks so beautiful like that, a small smile on her face and blue eyes bright and cheerful, the sunlight lighting up her face, giving her an ethereal glow. 

"Jinn," Boba mutters, reaching his gloved hand up to brush a thumb across her face. Jinn grabs his hand, kissing the palm before brushing some hair from his forehead with her other hand. 

"Hey," she says softly, "how are you feeling? You took a pretty hard hit to the head."

"Where is he?" Boba flinches as he tries to move, feeling Jinn firmly push him back down. 

"He's gone," she pauses, "I let him go."

Boba's eyes snap to hers. She looks... _guilty_ but also at the same time, like she doesn't regret it. "Is this some Jedi loyalty thing?"

She glances away, eyes going hard as she clenches her jaw. "I... something..." she sucks in a deep breath before letting it shakily out, "now isn't the time. We gotta get you to a medical facility to put you in a bacta tank."

Boba shoots her a stubborn look. "I don't _need_ a bacta tank. I'll be fine, I always am."

"Boba," Jinn begins adamantly, "you were literally _knocked unconscious while wearing a beskar helmet._ You _need_ a bacta tank. Most likely you have a concussion. Do you really want to be trying to hunt acquisitions with a concussion?"

He groans knowing that she's right, relaxing more into her lap slightly. Boba's never been a big fan of bacta tanks because he feels so... _exposed_. He can't protect himself when he's in one of those. Jinn seems to understand his hesitation. "Don't worry, I'll be sitting right next to you the entire time."

Boba sighs, maybe it's because he's slightly soft on her and she's the one who's asking, more like _demanding_ really, or maybe it's because the throbbing of his head has turned downright painful, but he relents, agreeing. Jinn raises her hands as her swords come flying back to her hands, sheathing them, before doing to the same with her lightsabers, attaching them back to her belt. 

"Can you stand?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

Jinn pushes Boba up as he grunts before standing up. Suddenly, he feels off balance, like his feet aren't on stable ground and he goes stumbling sideways. Jinn quickly catches him, throwing one of his arms around her shoulder and wrapping one arm around his torso while her other hand reaches out, rifle shooting towards her as carries it in her hand. The walk back to the speeder is surprisingly slow and Boba's still too disoriented to put words together more clearly or even _focus_ because _kriff,_ does it _hurt._ It feels like someone's shoved screwdrivers into his temples and is pounding against his head with a rock. Jinn helps him into the passenger seat as she gets into the driver's seat, getting them back to Mos Eisley and quickly finding the medical facility. 

Boba pauses for a moment, feet shoving firmly into the ground, as they pause in front of the small medical facility. Jinn squeezes him tightly, whispering reassuring words of encouragement that Boba doesn't really hear. But he relents, because it's _her_ and he knows that if she's next to him, he'll be alright. The medic walks over to them as Jinn explains that he hit his head, apparently a large and heavy box 'fell' on top of him. He's briefly checked out before they explain to him that he's going to go under the bacta tank and will be out in a couple of hours. And after that, Boba doesn't remember anything. 

Boba's eyes flutter open to see Jinn looking over him, a worried expression across her face, orange eyebrows furrowed together but eyes looking hesitantly hopeful. Relief washes over her face when she notices that he's awake, placing a gentle hand to cup his cheek as he raises his hand to brush some hair away from her face, fingers skimming over her freckled cheeks before tucking the loose strand behind her ear. A moment later, the sound of the curtains surrounding them are ripped open as an exhausted looking medic walks over, glancing at the two of them as Boba lowers his hand, feeling Jinn removing her own hand from his face only to grab his, thumb running soothingly over the back of his hand. 

"So?" She asks cautiously, "how is he?"

"He'll be fine," the medic assures Jinn, giving her a look as though this isn't the first time that Jinn has asked this question. Then, the medic glances at him. "You're going to be alright. The bacta tank fixed your concussion right up, it shouldn't be giving you any more trouble. Still, I'll check you out just to make sure. Go on, sit up," the medic explains, snapping the glove against her wrist as she pulls out a light. 

Boba lets her shine the light in his eyes, then does a couple of tests which involve him following her eyes with his finger without moving his hand, tapping his finger to his nose, tapping his finger against her finger while she moved it to different locations, and then a small balance test. 

"Yup," the medic says, "you're going to be just fine. I would suggest taking the next day or two easy -" Boba snorts as she fixes him a sharp look. There are very few people who have never been afraid of Boba, very few, but of the people who don't cower and shake in fear when they're around him, the majority of those people have been medics. They're some of the toughest kriffing people in the entire galaxy. "You came in with a nasty concussion, you need to take a day off." The medic glances at Jinn, "you'll make sure he takes at least today and tomorrow off, right?" Jinn nods. "I've always found when it comes to taking medical advice women tend to be smarter than men."

Jinn _beams_ at that response, "isn't that usually the case in just about everything?"

The two women share a smirk, "I've found that to be the case, yes." Well, they're not _wrong._ Boba's spent enough time dealing with smart, intelligent, and cunning people to realize that women are usually quicker on their feet than men. "Your wife refused to give out any information about you so technically I can't officially discharge because I never even registered you. But, I'm a medic, not my job to ask questions that aren't pertinent to what you came in for. That'll be one hundred credits."

Jinn fishes the credits out of her pouch and hands them to the medic, who gives a nod of thanks. "You're all set then. Remember, _take it easy_ for at _least_ today and tomorrow."

"Don't worry," Jinn reassures the medic, "I'll make sure he does."

Boba grumbles something incomprehensible as the medic shoots Jinn a nod of respect before a warning glare at Boba. The curtain waves slightly behind her as she closes it, allowing Boba the chance to get dressed. 

"How are you feeling?" He hears her hesitantly ask. 

Boba glances at Jinn as he shoves on his underarmor, pausing to squeeze her chin gently, "better, thanks to you."

"See? Was it that hard?"

"Yes," he admits honestly as she tilts her head to side while Boba continues to get dressed. "I... I don't like people seeing my face."

"Why not? Prefer the anonymity of it?"

"Mainly that, yeah," Boba agrees as he begins to strap on his armor. 

"Mainly? There's another reason?"

Boba sighs and fixes Jinn with a glare that doesn't really reach his eyes. He debates on whether or not telling her something so personal but because he's somehow becoming more and more stupid, he does. "I... don't like my face."

"What? Why not? Do you not think that you're attractive?"

"Do _you_ think I'm attractive?" He asks, the voice teasing but the genuine curiosity underneath somehow still audible. 

He can't help but smirk slightly as Jinn blushes, cheeks tinged with red as she glances away from him for a moment, pursing her lips to hide a shy smile. Then, she glances back at him, fully well aware that he's teasing her, but the smile she shoots him is so sweet and unguarded that something in his chest tightens ar that, causing his breath to leave his body for a moment. "Well, yeah, of course, how could I not?" She admits honestly and Boba's a little more than slightly pleased at her response and impressed by the candor of it. She pauses for a moment and Boba can tell that she's debating something from the way she chews the inside of her lip. Then, she quite fearlessly asks, "do _you_ think _I'm_ attractive?"

A large smile spreads across Boba's face as he lets his eyes linger, scanning her from her toes all the way to the top of her head. He _likes_ that she's a bit gutsy, likes that she can be bold and courageous and not hide behind shyness and tentativity. She can be those things, he's seen her be those things, but he enjoys that she has the courage to ask those questions, that she's a bit feisty and isn't scared of him, that she can toe the line a little that both of them have drawn in the sand. Although, that line is starting to become thinner and thinner, more and more translucent. He's slightly worried that some day, there might not be a line anymore. Well, there'll still _be_ a line in the ways that count, that all healthy relationships have, but the line that _they_ drew, to make whatever... whatever _this_ is not become something more _involved_ , _that's_ disappearing. He's becoming increasingly attached and there are these _feelings_ that he has for her that are digging deeper and deeper into his person, like a tree trying to take root through steel or concrete. And he can already see the beginnings starting to poke through. Yet, another half of himself is actually curiously, partly _excited_ to see the line they drew disappear, to have this become maybe something _more_ someday. But it's still so soon, too soon for that to become something more significant, to become an actuality yet. 

Boba leans across the cot, resting his forearms on it as he looks at Jinn, faces inches away from each other. "Absolutely, how could I not? You're gorgeous."

And then she does that smile he's missed so much from when she was wearing her mask. She tilts her head to the side slightly and practically _beams_ at him. Boba tries really hard not to, like really, _really_ hard, but his eyes flick down to her mouth. He knows that she notices from the way the smile slips off of her face. Their eyes lock and he's seriously considering kissing her now, can feel her breath against his lips and can see her chest rising and falling a bit more rapidly. He knows that he _wants_ to kiss her, thinks he might, but before anythingcan happen, the curtains are ripped open again. 

"You're still - _kriffing, stars,_ " the medic huffs irritatedly, " _you're married._ You can kiss all you want when you get home but I need this cot and bacta tank so out you go."

Boba casts Jinn an amused look, leaning back, watching as she removes her robe and hands it to him. The medic scurries away, mumbling to herself while Boba grabs the robe, giving her a curious glance. 

"To hide your face," she explains, "I... I figure that the helmet might be a bit of a giveaway and I didn't know if you wanted people to know that you know, _you_ were at a medical facility and since you want to hide your face, well..." she finishes with a shrug and Boba is floored by the empathy of it. He doesn't know the last time he met someone who was so genuinely considerate of other people, especially someone who was so considerate of _him._ He gives her a small nod, swallowing thickly before sliding it on. 

Boba throws the hood over his head as the two walk out and he has a surge of courage, reaching out to grab Jinn's hand. She turns her head around to look at him, casting him a curious look for a moment before glancing down at his hands and then back at him. Then, this beautiful, shy smile spreads across her face as she shifts her body closer to him slightly so that they're walking closer together. 

"I'm still driving," she quips as Boba nods, watching as she confidently marches to the speeder. As soon as Boba gets inside, he removes the robe and hands it back to her, gratefully putting his helmet back on, feeling much more comfortable in public now that it's back on. "So," Jinn finally says as they begin speeding back to Slave I, "what do we do now?"

"Well, I go back and find Vader and explain to him that the kid got away. I do _have_ to give him the kid's name. I can't just give him nothing."

He watches as Jinn sobers slightly, muttering solemnly, "I know."

"But first, I want the story. What happened after I was knocked unconscious and why you let this boy go."

Jinn glances away for a moment before sighing, "the... the reason why I let him go, there's a story behind it. It's... it's not pretty."

"We have time."

"I'll tell you when we get back to the ship," Jinn says, cringing a moment later when the ship appears in front of them. When she parks the speeder, she hesitates for a moment, staying stuck in her seat and Boba realizes that her chest is rising and falling a bit rapidly and that her hands are shaking. He's seen this before, this... _trauma_ that becomes visible when people talk or even think about it. Any other time, they seem fine, normal even, but then it's like this small moment when it's like you're opening up some memory and at the sight of it, they panic, body overloading. He's seen some of the toughest men he's ever met vomit at the mere _thought_ of a memory. Boba knows the feeling all too well. He still gets nightmares sometimes or unwanted flashes, reminders of the day he watched his father lose his head and of other... _stuff_ that he's seen and experienced along the way since then. 

Boba gets out of the speeder, walking around and kneeling down slightly so that his face is level with Jinn, removing his helmet so that he can look at her. He slips his hand in and grabs her hand, squeezing her hand briefly as she glances at him. 

"I didn't know," he whispers, as if raising his voice to a normal level might break whatever is going on, might somehow only make it worse, "I didn't know that the... the reason wasn't a _good_ memory. You... you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. It's okay."

Jinn takes in a shaky breath before releasing it, straightening her back, swallowing briefly before glancing back at him, eyes determined. "No, I... I need to. I can't... I can't hold everything in. It's not healthy. I... I _want_ to tell you but I just -" she glances away for a moment and Boba waits patiently until she looks back, eyes slightly shimmering with tears that are threatening to spill. "I don't... I don't want you to think of me differently."

Boba nearly laughs because _that's_ what she's worried about. 

"Trust me, _cyar'ika_ , after everything I've seen and done, whatever it is, won't be changing my opinion of you."

"Promise?" She asks and _stars_ her voice is so small. Boba reaches out and brushes away the single tear that falls down her cheek. 

"Promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so FLUFF at the end. It was so much fun writing Jinn's conversation with Luke especially and this encounter between Boba and Luke in Kenobi's home is all canon. I'm excited for the next chapter because while it's a bit tamer in terms of violence compared to the last two chapters, it's super interesting and provides more insight into Jinn and Boba's backgrounds.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jinn tells Boba one of her darkest secrets while Boba has to go tell Vader Skywalker's identity but has a run in with a not-so-friendly person

Jinn

Jinn sits shakily down in one of the chairs by the table. Boba grabs a chair and pulls it up so he's across from her, their knees almost knocking together. She takes in a deep shaky breath as Boba places his helmet down on the table. She doesn't necessarily _like_ bringing this memory up, doesn't want to, but knows if she never talks, never even _thinks_ about all of these memories, it's going to eat away at her slowly. That's not healthy. She needs to _process_ them. How? She has no kriffing idea. But it's a start. She knows Boba well enough now to know that he isn't going to judge her, or at least she hopes not, but knows definitely that he's not annoyed by her opening up to him about this, that he genuinely wants to know and is kind enough to tell her that it's her choice. 

She clears her throat, staring at her fingers twisting together, "when, uh... when I was fifteen, my parents found a Jedi, some kid who was barely thirteen. They... they uh -" she clenches her jaw, body shaking slightly to glance away, tears already pricking at her eyes. "they brought him in and uh dragged him to the ship. My uh... my parents asked me to be there when they interrogated him. They uh... they wanted to know where more Jedi were, they figured he wasn't just all by himself. So, they uh, they told me to come with them. I just thought I was going to be sitting and watching as they interrogated him but they uh... when I got there they told me that they wanted _me_ to interrogate him. Said I needed to practice. So - I mean -" Jinn glances away again, too many conflicting emotions surging through her to speak properly. She's grateful that Boba is staying silent and isn't doing anything like trying to hold her hand. She doesn't know if she wants to be touched at the moment, doesn't think she does. Maybe after, but not _during._

"What, what you do is uh, reach your hand out and use the Force to essentially force them to speak. But, he was uh, he was strong. It didn't work. My mother tried next and then my father and neither of them could get him to talk. So, uh... so, my mom decided to torture him. I... I didn't _want_ the kid to be tortured but I was so, so scared of my mom," Jinn's lower lip trembles as a tear falls down her cheek, "and she gets so scary when she gets mad. But I thought _they_ were going to do it but just make me watch as they... as they've done before. But, my mom said I was old enough now that it was time for _me_ to learn how to use torture to get information out of our enemies. I... I - _Maker_ , I was so _weak_. I just went along with it. I didn't _want_ to but I was so afraid of my mom, of her getting angry at _me_ that I _did._ I was too scared to even try to ask her if she should do it first and make up some lie that it would be better if I watched first. They uh -" her hands shake so she quickly grasps onto them tightly, feeling her stomach clench and she wonders if she's going to throw up. Doesn't think she will but she definitely feels a bit nauseous. 

"There's uh... there's two types of torture done through the Force. Force choking which is where you constrict someone's windpipe using the Force and then Force lightening which, well, you've already seen me do. Choking is the less painful one, which is saying a lot since Force choking kriffing _hurts_ , so I started with that. But my... but my mom told me no," another tear streaks down, "so... so I had to _torture_ him using Force lightening. So, I uh -" her whole body violently shakes from the memory for a moment, "I... I _did it._ I... I shot lightening at the poor kid and when I would stop, to pause and let him breathe my mother and father would ask him questions. 'Where are the other Jedi?' 'Are you with the Rebellion?' 'Tell me where the other Jedi are and we'll let you go.' And... and it went on for _hours_ ," and now the tears are falling freely down her cheeks. She takes in another shuddering breath feeling as though there's some squeezing her lungs, choking them, so that she can't properly breathe. 

"But he didn't give up the information, so... so my mother told me to _kill him._ But... but I just _couldn't._ I couldn't do it - and then she was shouting at me and she was in my face just _shouting_ at me and then my father was shouting at me but I - I just _couldn't._ He was a _Jedi_ and a _kid._ I was only two years older than him and I just felt so sick inside, like I was some horrible, disgusting, pathetic excuse for a human being because - Boba, the way he _looked_ after _hours_ of torture. And when my mom realized I couldn't, she had my dad hold me as they forced me to watch her use the Force to... to crush his windpipe. And then they... they sent his body back to the Rebels to..." she lets out this pitiful whine before curling up, chest nearly pressing against her thighs as she sobs into her hands. She just... she feels so _horrible_. She _is_ horrible. She _tortured a boy. A child._

"I'm such a horrible person," she finally gets out as regret and self-hatred clutches at her chest, digging its claws in until she can't _breathe_ anymore. She just _can't_ and it's _true_ , she's the worst type of person. 

She hears Boba mutter something but over her sobs, she can't tell what. Then, a moment later, his hands are on her knees and he's pulling her off of her chair and onto the floor, wrapping his arms around her. She throws her arms around his neck, sobbing into his shoulder as he holds onto her tightly, hand running up and down her back soothingly as he whispers half-heard words of comfort. Eventually, the tears stop and she begins to catch her breath, chest heaving as she takes in big, gasping gulps of air. Finally, she pulls back, doesn't push herself out of Boba's arms but enough to try to wipe her tears that have stained her cheeks. 

But before she can wipe them away, two hands are already doing so. Boba's hands. His thumbs brush away her tears, moving and holding her so gently it's almost like she's made of glass and he's afraid if he puts any more pressure on she might break. Maybe she already has, she just doesn't know it yet. Maybe she's always going to be broken. Maybe that's just how life is. But even with her self-hatred spiral, she doesn't feel as horrible as she would have been had she been alone, not in Boba's arms. And she's afraid to look up at him, afraid to see his face and to see just how _horrified_ and disgusted he is by her. 

"Jinn, look at me," Boba says gently but Jinn doesn't do it. He tilts her chin up slightly as she finally, _finally_ looks at him. "You are _not_ a horrible person, you never could be." She rips her face from his hands, suddenly feeling angry because _how can he not see it_? "Jinn, look at me," and she does so, seeing the earnest and sympathetic look in his eyes and something _else_ indecipherable underneath. "You are _not_ a horrible person. You were a child who was taken advantage of by their parents and forced to do horrible things. It's your parents who are the horrible people, your parents who are responsible, not you."

"How, how can you not hate me?" And she doesn't usually hate herself, she really doesn't. But it's times like these where she remembers some of the horrible, atrocious things that she's done that do make her hate herself for a time. 

Boba's face softens considerably as he cups her face again in his hands, "how could I _ever_? It's impossible. Listen, all of us, even the very best of people, have done some shitty things in their lives. But if you were _really_ horrible, you wouldn't be regretting it. Life is _hard_ and for people like us, who were forced into really shitty situations at young ages, it's even harder. You're going to do things that you regret, things you've already done that you regret and while they might've been horrible, what matters is that you _regret it_ and try to not do it again in the future because you don't want to. And _that_ matters. And, Jinn, kriff, you're one of the kindest, most empathetic, caring, and honorable people I've ever met. Yes, you've done bad things but you've got a good heart underneath, _cyar'ika_. A really good heart. You've got a code and you try to live by that code. Don't... don't hate yourself, you hear me? Don't _ever_ hate yourself because you're far too extraordinary of a person to _ever_ be worth hating."

Jinn's eyes begin to well up with tears again, which she doesn't think is possible after how hard she had just been sobbing, but they do. Boba brushes away the stray tears that fall down and all she can do is look at him because she's _floored_ by his response. She's been spending enough time with Boba to get a good feel about the type of man he is. And while he may be softer and gentler with her, to everyone else, he is all hard edges and sharp points, ready and willing to bite back if they sense a threat. He doesn't _express_ his emotions or thoughts, doesn't want to. He doesn't open up. Yet, he just has. For _her_ of all people. 

She doesn't know how to express this thanks, to formulate it into words to say how much what he said meant to her. How it released that squeezing of her lungs, that clamp of fear and pain going away, allowing her to take deep, steadying breaths in and out again. It... it makes her feel like she's not so horrible after all. She's done some horrible things but maybe she's not horrible overall. How he can still _look_ at her, much less say these things about her, she wonders. Then, she remembers that Boba, like herself, has done a lot of shitty, horrible things in his life, too. So, maybe he understands. No, he _definitely_ understands, she can tell from the softness in his eyes and from the way it seems to reflect that they have another thing in common. That maybe they're not so different after all, might be far more similar than they think. Different lives, same story. 

"Thank you," she whispers, throat raw and voice slightly raspy. Boba gives her a small nod and Jinn grabs his face, cupping his cheek with one hand while she leans in to press her lips against his cheek. She can feel the way his arms unconsciously wrap around her tighter as she kisses his cheek, lingering for just a moment before pulling him back into a tight hug, letting out a shaky breath and their heads burrow into each other's shoulders. They stay like that for a while, too long for it to be just a reassuring hug, like they don't want to let go of each other. But they do, at some point. 

As painful as it is to finally break off from the hug, Jinn leans back, still in his arms, but enough to cup his face with her hands and whisper another grateful _thank you_. Boba nods, leaning forward to press a kiss to forehead. Jinn's lips part as she lets out a silent, short breath of air, closing her eyes as if to savor the feeling before he pulls away. His brown eyes bore into her blue ones and now it's his turn to cup her face, "just... don't hate yourself, okay?"

Jinn nods, letting out a shaky, "okay," as Boba's lips curve into a small, half-smile. She lets Boba help her up, allowing him to push her gently into a chair. He hesitates for a moment before walking over to the small kitchen area. 

"You uh... you want some tea?"

Despite how shitty Jinn still feels, although she feels far better than she was before Boba's talk and reassurances, can't help but smile, all too aware of how her dried tears feel against her cheeks. 

" _You_ drink tea?"

"My father used to make it for me all the time back when I was younger. Said that if you're going to become a bounty hunter, you need something, just one thing to help you destress and clear your mind. Tea was his thing."

"Really?" She adjusts in her seat slightly, excited and curious about Boba opening up to her about his life. "What was his favorite?"

"Cassius tea. It's made from the Cassius tree found on Mandalore. He would always bring packs of them back every time he visited Mandalore."

"What was your favorite?"

"Same thing. Whatever he liked, I wanted to like the same thing too."

"It sounds like you really looked up to him."

Boba lets out a small laugh. "Yeah, I did. I used to look at him like he had hung all the stars in the galaxy. He... he was a really good man, and an even better father."

Jinn can feel his sadness radiating from him even without having to use the Force. "You said as part of your father's deal to be the clone template, he asked for a son, for you. Why? I hope I'm not coming across as offensive or anything but I'm genuinely curious. It doesn't strike me that the best bounty hunter in the galaxy of that generation would want a son. I hope I haven't -"

"Don't worry," Boba reassures her after sensing her about to ramble, "you're not being offensive. If it was anyone else, I might've not believed them, but it's you, so," he shrugs. 

Jinn smiles, "if it was anyone else, I don't think they would've had the guts to ask you that."

Boba's lips quirk up in a smile as he pours some tea into two mugs. "Yeah, I guess you're right about that, _mesh'la_. Here -" Boba hands Jinn her tea as she gratefully accepts it, cradling it in her hands as Boba sits down. She takes a tentative sip before - _wow_ , that's good. Really good. It's strong, a bit better, but has this curling sweetness underneath that prevents the bitterness from overwhelming the tongue. It feels soothing, relaxing and calming. 

"Shit, this is really good," Jinn mutters as Boba gives her another one of his half smiles. 

"I'm glad you like it, shows that you've got good taste."

Jinn pauses for a moment before continuing with her previous question, "so, if you don't mind me asking, why?"

Boba sighs leaning into his seat more as he takes a long sip of tea. "My father was a foundling. By their creed, Mandalorians could not leave abandoned children to their fate if they encountered them, whether they were on the battlefield, another mission, or even if it was the child of an enemy group. They were duty bound to either reunite the child with their own kind or adopt the child as their own, acting as the child's parents. My father was born to a family of farmers on Concord Dawn. He was just a young boy when Mandalorian Civil War between the True Mandalorians and the Death Watch spilled onto my father's homeworld. His father granted Jaster Mereel, the Mand'alor, and some of his men refuge in his homestead. However, the Death Watch found my father and his father and beat him in front of my father until his mother shot one of them. His father ordered my father to run and as my father ran away, the Death Watch murdered the rest of my father's family and took his sister as captive. He led the Mandalorians to safety and later, after the Death Watch celebrated, believing they had won, my father planted an explosives charge underneath one of the Death Watch's tanks, destroying it. When the Death Watch members who had murdered his parents reacted, my father was able to snatch up a blaster and kill his parents' murderers. He impressed Jaster Mereel so much that he decided to adopt my father and raise him as his son."

Jinn's mouth drops. "Your father was raised by the Mand'alor?"

"Yes, he had a huge amount of respect for Jaster Mereel. He was taken in by the Mandalorians and raised as a Mandalorian, so he took the creed and everything very seriously. So, when this opportunity to be the clone template came about, the idea that he could have a son and continue on Jaster's legacy meant a great deal to him. At least, that's what he told the man who hired him. Ultimately, what it really was was that children are essentially sacred in Mandalorian culture and being raised and taught this, it... it made him want a son of his own. And being a bounty hunter doesn't exactly make it easy to have a child the natural way. So, that's why he chose to ask for a son."

Jinn's silent for a moment, shocked at just how much Boba told her but also incredibly flattered that he trusted her enough to tell her this. "Wow, he sounds like he was an amazing man."

"He really was," Boba agrees. 

Jinn shakes her head in surprise, "his life sounds so interesting. I swear I could hear about it for hours."

Boba's lips quirk into a small smile, "that's exactly how I felt when I was a kid. I was always asking him about his life, trying to know and learn more," he pauses for a moment before adding softly, "I just wish I had more time."

That alone nearly breaks Jinn's heart, shatters it into something because she can't even imagine what that's like. To have a parent who you have such a strong and loving relationship with only to have that relationship ripped away when you're still so young. She reaches across the table and grabs Boba's hand, squeezing it gently. "I'm so sorry, Boba, that you never got that time."

She expects him to shrug it off, say it was nothing or that it is what it is, but she's pleasantly surprised when he twists his hand so that his palm is up, pressed against hers and gives her a kind smile. "Thank you," he replies and she knows it's genuine. "And... I'm sorry for what happened to you as well. No kid should have to go through that." She watches as Boba glances at the clock to let out a loud, irritated sigh. "I gotta go find Vader and give him Skywalker's name before it gets too late. I'll be back tonight before dinner. You stay here." Jinn nods, incredibly grateful that he's the one who said that instead of her asking, mumbling a thanks. "I'll tell Vader that you're going through Kenobi's home trying to see if there's anything there. Hopefully I'll be in and our pretty quick. The less work we do with Vader the better. Just... get some rest, okay? I'll be back soon."

Boba stands up, tucking his helmet under arm before leaning in and pressing another kiss to Jinn's forehead, pulling away quicker than last time. He casts her a small smile before shoving his helmet on and leaving Slave I. Jinn runs a shaky hand through her hair, realizing with a drastic drop of her stomach that she has _feelings_ for Boba. Real, romantic, emotional _feelings_ for this man. She knew that they were _there_ , but they were much more vague, feelings and emotions that were floating along the periphery rather than in the center, not a planet rotating around the sun anymore but the actual sun itself. Over time, she had expected that they were to grow stronger but she wasn't expecting it to happen so soon. _Fuck._

What does she even do? Does he even feel the same way? She thinks he might, suspects it. If it was anyone else, she would have thought that that's just who they are but Boba isn't a people person. Shit, he doesn't even let people call him by his first name much less ask him personal questions and if they're dumb enough to do so, they're probably going to be missing a few less teeth. Yet, he _willingly_ opened up to her today, about his father, who he is probably the most protective and defensive of. Told _her_ his father's story, told her genuine, incredibly personal, and cherished memories and stories and that _he_ was the one who chose to tell her that story. He could've easily not told her, could've given her the basic answer, not everything, but he _didn't._ He gave her more than she asked and that thought warms her more than the tea he offered her. She just hopes she's right about this hunch, but knowing both of them, despite the increase in flirting and comfortableness around each other, she doubts anything more concrete is going to happen anytime soon. 

So, she'll just have to wait. 

Boba

Boba walks through the Vader's Star Dreadnaught and personal flagship, the Executor. He can't even snort at the ridiculousness of the name because it _is_ sort of a nice name. Which makes the whole thing more infuriating. So, now he has to go over to Vader and pretend like Jinn didn't just let Skywalker get away, just walk out of the hut after _seeing her face._ Just go in, give him the name, and get out. Hopefully his failure at capturing Skywalker will make him not ask Boba to do another job. He's done jobs with Vader in the past before and Vader has always been impressed, always asked him for the best and toughest missions. He used to like them because they were a challenge but now, any job with Vader is a threat. It's a threat to Jinn, to her life, and a threat to Boba. He doesn't really care about how it would affect him, if anyone found out, but how it would affect Jinn. He doesn't know the last time he put someone else before him. Most decent things about Boba is what Jinn seems to be somehow pulling to the surface that haven't seen the light of day since his father passed. After that, he shut all goodness and decency down a deep dark hole and locked the door. 

Apparently, Jinn's somehow found the key to this door. He doesn't know how he feels about that. 

When Boba gets to the command center, he sees Vader staring out into space, back to everyone. Boba lets out a long, irritated sigh before marching over to Vader, making sure to keep a respectful distance. 

"I lost him," Boba explains. 

"That is most disappointing." _Most disappointing my ass_. Boba bites back any retort because while if it was anyone else, he might've shot them for saying that but it's Vader and Boba's smart enough to know that you don't mess with Sith. 

"He got lucky," Boba responds, nearly growling out the words but trying to keep his voice calm and steady. 

"Where is your wife? I don't sense her onboard."

Boba resists the urge to suck in a deep breath, afraid Vader might hear it, but his muscles in his back clench and tense up despite his desire to look at ease. "She's at Kenobi's old home going through it to see if we can get anything more about this Rebel pilot."

"And you decided that it was better to inform me ahead of time? Before your wife has finished going through this home?"

"The home was completely trashed so it's taking a bit longer to go through everything. We don't think we'll find anything else but we both like to be thorough."

"Did you bring me _anything_ of value, bounty hunter? Or have you just wasted my time?" _Asshole, asshole, asshole. Fucking prick._

"Not much. Just his name. Luke Skywalker."

Boba waits for another retort, some sort of reaction, anything, but Vader just _stands_ there. Almost as if he's frozen. Maybe he knows him maybe he doesn't but Boba's not dumb enough to ask questions that aren't specific to the mission and the mission alone. After a good minute, Boba figures that Vader has nothing left to say to him. 

"We're done here, then," Boba says before walking away. This was easier than he expected. They barely had a conversation, just a few exchange of words and now he can go home. He begins walking down the command center, hoping just to _get the kriff out of here._ The door opens as he's halfway there and a woman emerges. She's wearing robes of all black, slightly similar to Jinn's, and has a lightsaber attached to her belt. When Boba glances at her face, he nearly stumbles. Curly red hair, fair skin, and freckled cheeks. The only difference is that her eyes are green instead of blue. When those green eyes look at Boba, something flashes within them. Boba doesn't like her automatically, causes the hairs to raise on the back of his neck. Even if he didn't know Jinn, didn't know all the horrible things she did to her own flesh and blood, she gives off a similar vibe that Vader does: dark, angry, dangerous, and deadly. Like ice given form. 

"Is this the bounty hunter you were telling me about yesterday, Vader?" The woman asks, eyes narrowing, showing her wrinkles, another difference from Jinn. 

Vader says nothing for a moment before walking past both Boba and Jinn's mother and exiting the room. The woman's expression reflects slight confusion but shrugs it off with apathetic indifference. Her eyes go to Boba again as she stalks over to him. She stops in front of him and after hearing from Jinn what this woman has _done_ to her and has made her _do_ , Boba's considering killing her. But... that would create way too many problems and he doesn't know if Jinn _wants_ her mother dead, especially by his hand. So, for her sake, he won't. 

"You're _the_ Boba Fett, aren't you?" She asks, voice slightly deeper than Jinn's and a viciousness in it that cuts like a knife. 

"There's only one Boba Fett," he replies, trying to look calm and collected and not like he wants to rip her fucking face off. 

She chuckles, rough and devoid of humor. Sinister. Evil. That's what she is. "Your reputation precedes you, Fett. Is your job with Vader done?"

Boba tenses slightly, not liking where this conversation is going. "We're done."

"Might I interest you in another job?"

"Already took another offer from the Guild." Thank the _stars_ that the Guild leader, a Twi'lek named Laymii, offered Boba another job this morning after he finished his job with Vader. "Don't do two jobs at the same time."

"And I can't give you an incentive to take mine instead?"

"Fetts don't break contracts."

She makes a small noise of discontent but looks slightly impressed. "Good. Can I at least tell you what the job is about? It's not urgent. It can wait until you've finished your job with the Guild. Care to go on a walk with me?"

Boba grits his jaw but _knows_ that it's not smart to say no. She'll suspect something if he's too adamant about not hearing about this job. He gestures with his helmet as he follows Jinn's mother out of the command center. 

"I'm Darth Vengence, another Sith Lord, like Vader. He speaks well of you, says you're the best at what you do, and that you're good at keeping secrets." 

A pause. 

"What's the job?"

"I need you to hunt down a girl for me -" Boba's stomach drops but he forces all emotions into that locked door because Sith and Jedi can _sense_ emotions and the last thing he needs is Jinn's mother sensing that something's off. "My daughter, actually. The little brat decided to run away and I want her back. The last information we have on her is from Tatooine. Apparently she killed all the stormtroopers we sent after her. They're already useless but I was expecting that they would be competent enough to be able to take in a severely injured girl. Quite disappointing. But, I need her back. Think you can find her?

"I can find her alright, but I've done a lot of jobs for the Empire recently. Guild's not too happy about that so I might have to do a couple of jobs with them first."

"Vader told me that you were the best," she hisses angrily, green eyes flashing. 

"I _am_ , but I also took the code, which asks for loyalty to the Guild first. I can check with Laymii first if you're that desperate or I can give you the name of another bounty hunter -" who will never, ever find Jinn because he'll mysteriously end up dead. 

"I don't _want_ the name of another bounty hunter, I _want_ the best."

"Well, then you're going to have to wait. I can check with Laymii tonight and get back to you tomorrow. If he says yes, then I'll take your job as soon as I finish the one I just accepted. If he says no, then you're going to have to wait."

"She could be anywhere by then! I thought Boba Fett didn't take orders from anyone."

Boba clenches his jaw so hard he's worried his teeth might crack. He _doesn't_ take orders from anyone but this is the best excuse he can come up with. "I took a code and joined a membership. The Guild is the source of my income -"

"You could just work for us full time."

"Not going to happen."

"Why?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you, Sith."

Boba pauses for a moment, worried he's gone too far. But then he watches as Jinn's mother leans back, smirk pulling at her lips as her eyes shine with cold amusement. "I'm impressed. Most people don't have the guts to stand up to me." Wow, she really thinks that highly of herself, huh? What an ass.

"I'm not most people."

"Clearly. Fine, check with your boss and let me know what's happening tomorrow. If not, I can hunt the little cunt down myself."

Boba forces his feet to stay firmly in floor as he feels a rush of anger go through him, putting in all his energy to push it down. "Very well. If that's all -"

"I'll be seeing you around, Fett."

Boba nods, turning around and making his way back towards his ship. But before he can fully get there, he hears Jinn's mother call his name again. "Fett," he turns around, "will you be bringing your wife with you as well? Vader told me that you're apparently working with her on missions."

It takes him a moment to collect himself, throat feeling unnaturally dry and palms unusually sweaty. "We work together."

"Hm," Jinn's mother mutters before pacing back over to him. "From everything I've heard about you and from just meeting you now, you don't strike me as the marrying sort."

"You don't know anything about me."

"I pick up on more than you think. But, if you do take this mission, I expect you to bring your wife. I do have to admit that I'm curious. She must be some woman if she's able to tame the great Boba Fett. I'd love to meet her."

Boba can't speak. He can't. It seems _impossible_ right now. Luckily, he's known to be a man of few words so he simply nods his head towards Jinn's mother before turning away and heading back to his ship. He doesn't even notice that his hands are shaking until he's far away from Vader's ship and back towards Tatooine. Boba lets go of the wheel, staring in shock as his hands _visibly_ shake, trembling like some terrified child. He sucks a deep breath in through his nose before letting it out through his mouth. For the first time in a long time he's _scared_ , terrified actually. Not for himself, although there is a _slight_ fear of what Jinn's mother might do to him if she finds out he's harboring her daughter, but what happens to him doesn't matter because if they're discovered, what will happen to Jinn compared to Boba will be _multiple_ times worse. He doesn't want her gone, doesn't want her taken back to her parents and tortured or - kriff, or _killed._ He just wants her _here_ , with him, by his side.

By the time Boba gets back to Tatooine, alerting Jinn through his comm that he's back, when she gets onto the ship, Boba rips off his helmet. She removes her mask, casting him a curious glance before eyebrows scrunch together in concern, immediately realizing that something is wrong.

"Boba, what's -"

"I saw your mother," Boba leans against the table, eyes locked on Jinn's, "spoke with her more like. She's looking for you, Jinn. She's hunting you and she asked me to do it. And if she said I couldn't, she'd hunt you down herself."

The way Jinn's face pales says it all.

They're not safe. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was so much fun to write. I really enjoyed being able to write more about Jinn and Boba and have them open up to each other. Also, it was so much fun to write Jinn's mother, the woman's crazy. Also, I know it's been a very slow burn so far and I apologize for that but (hint) it won't be a slow burn too much longer!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jinn has done all the prerequisites to join the Bounty Hunter's Guild except one, her finial imitation test: the Box. Boba, on the other hand, struggles with his feelings for his fake-slowly-becoming-less-fake wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I enjoyed writing this chapter and it's a bit longer than expected but oh well! Enjoy!

Boba

It's been three months. Three months since they finished their last job with Vader. Three months since they ran into Skywalker and three and a half months since Jinn came crashing (literally) into Boba's life. And she wrecked everything in the most awe-inspiring, cherishing, and slightly confusing way possible. He's broken his father's first code: trust no one, but use everyone. He _trusts_ Jinn, actually trusts her and not just in the way where he knows she'll have his back when they're hunting acquisitions but he trusts her with vulnerabilities. Over the past three months, when they're not charging through jungles or hiding in frozen caves on some ice-forgotten planet, those moments of calm, of rest, they talk. They talk about their lives, their stories, experiences and _hopes._ She knows more about Boba than anyone else in the entire galaxy. Knows his whole story now, from start to finish. Maybe doesn't know every single detail about his life but knows the big stuff, the important things and what's stuck with him the most. And when he shares, so does she. An equal amount. It feels so strange to have this trust and despite how he's breaking both his father's first code and his, he actually _likes_ feeling like he can trust someone, knowing that he can and that they trust him in return. It was an uncomfortable feeling at first, it confused the kriff out of him and he was half-terrified constantly that opening up and trusting her like this would have catastrophic consequences.

Yet, there has been no calamity, no disasters or pain. Just... happiness. And that's strange, so strange to him. Boba isn't a _happy_ person. He's grouchy and mean and harsh, cold and calculating. He used to be more irascible but as he's gotten older, he's gotten more in control of his emotions, which somehow just made himself feel so closed-off to the whole galaxy and all the more indifferent and unsympathetic to it. He's just... had nothing to be happy about. Nothing to _truly_ be happy about because before Jinn, he didn't have anyone he gave a kriffing shit about and had a wall too tall for anyone to climb and too thick for anyone to break. Only he could let down the wall and he never chose to, not once, until Jinn. Despite the anxiety that would grip his entire being sometimes in the beginning when he first started opening up to Jinn and vice versa, he eventually got more and more used to this feeling of vulnerability around her. He doesn't hate it anymore.

Boba parks Slave I on Carajam, home to the headquarters of the Bounty Hunter's Guild, where he is to bring Jinn. She has completed all the requirements for Guild membership. They've spent the past three months hunting down acquisitions, going far past the minimum of five turned-in acquisitions. Now, all Jinn has to do is complete the initiation test, which is determined by whatever the Guild leader, Laymii, is in the mood for. Most of them aren't pretty and it's not uncommon for an initiate or two to die during the process. Although, it depends on the initiation test, some tests have a higher rate of fatalities than other tests. Hopefully she doesn't get one of the worse ones. He _knows_ that Jinn can hold her own but he's still nervous for her. 

He watches as Jinn adjusts the sword sheathe over her robe, smoothing down her tunic cautiously. Boba walks over to her, pressing his finger gently under her chin and tilting her head up to look at him. "You'll be _fine_ , believe me. I survived my initiation test alright."

"I know," Jinn smiles up at him, hand reaching out to press against his side, "that's how you got this scar."

Damn Acjkley nearly bit him in two, latched onto his torso and the the teeth broke into the parts where his armor wasn't. "Still, _you've got this._ Not only are you a Jedi, but you're a _Fett_ , and we Fetts can handle anything, yeah?" He asks, squeezing her chin slightly. He watches as her shoulders relax slightly, eyes softening as she casts him a grateful smile. 

"Thanks, Boba."

"Don't worry, _cyar'ika_ , I've got your back," he reassures her, pressing his lips to her forehead before shoving on his helmet. 

"I know you told me what _mesh'la_ means but you've never told me what _cyar'ika_ means," Jinn points out as they walk out of Slave I. 

"Maybe someday you'll find out," Boba teases as Jinn gives him a scowl that has no real menace behind it. 

"That's what you said the first time," she huffs as they walk into the headquarters of the Bounty Hunter's Guild, which is basically a large, glorified cantina. 

The place is _rowdy_ , to say the least but that's not surprising. There are booths all on the first floor while the second floor is where more official business conducted, more financial and managerial stuff. However, the majority of business is done on the first floor. In the center is a large bar where patrons and Guild members chat away, some regaling others with dramatized stories of their hunts, others shamelessly flirting and others too drunk to even sit on a stool. In the back, all alone in a booth, sits Laymii. People immediately move out of the way as Boba and Jinn walk through, many eyes on them. Some of the best bounty hunters in the whole galaxy are here, but even _they_ shoot Boba a second look. Because the he's the best bounty hunter and the most intimidating and dangerous person here. 

"Fett!" Laymii stands up, a Twi'lek around the age of forty-five or so, with blue skin and sharp, cunning eyes. 

"Laymii," Boba grunts as the two shake hands. 

"How are you?"

"Same as usual," Boba replies gruffly. 

Laymii's eyes fall onto Jinn, who is standing with her back straight and her face a mask of calm, cunning intelligence. "And _you_ must be Fett's mysterious wife I've been hearing so much about," the two shake hands, "please, sit."

Boba and Jinn sit down, Laymii scooting over in the circular booth to make room. "It is so nice to finally meet you," Laymii says to Jinn as gives him a small, polite, and slightly forced smile. "Now, do you prefer to go by Dawn or Fett?"

"Fett," Jinn answers. 

"Very well. Now, do you two want anything to drink?" Of _course_ Laymii would be asking for a drink. After news got out that Boba Fett has a wife, _everyone_ has been trying to find out more about her. Most likely he's going to be trying to see how much he can get away with. 

"I'm fine," Jinn responds as Boba answers with a shake of his head. 

"Well, I'll have one," Laymii snaps his hand to a waiter, who rushes over to the bar. "Why don't you remove your hood? Let me see your face."

Jinn hesitates for a moment before lowering her hood. Laymii looks at her for a long couple of seconds before nodding his head. "Well, the rumors were right after all, you _are_ a pretty thing. Don't worry dear -" Laymii says after noticing Jinn tense, "I meant no offense. I don't give a damn about looks when it comes to my bounty hunters. What matters is if they're good at the job or not and according to the rumors, you are _quite_ good at your job. How'd you come across the bounty hunting business?"

"I was a member of Black Sun."

"I'm sorry for the loss of your group," Laymii says seriously as Jinn gives a nod of thanks with her head. "How come you weren't on Alderaan?"

"I was sent off planet to deal with a group of... let's just say _difficult_ potential clients."

"Your group worked for the some of the most wealthy and influential people and groups in the entire galaxy. I've learned from my own work that the wealthiest tend to be the most difficult."

Jinn rolls her eyes, "they're miserable."

Laymii chuckles, "so, after your group died what did you do?"

Boba shifts slightly in his seat as if to warn Laymii that his line of questioning is pushing the bounds. Laymii's eyes shoot to Boba, understanding right away. "My apologies, Fett. My curiosity got the better of me. I forgot how private you are," _yeah right, asshole._ "Now, the message you sent me the other day says that your dear wife here has completed all her requirements to join the Guild?"

Jinn pushes the information containing the names of the acquisitions, the dates captured or killed, and the bounty payouts. Laymii grabs the data pad, reading it over before grabbing his own data pad out to compare the two. He nods, face completely blank before handing Jinn back her data pad. "That all seems to be in order," he scrolls through his data pad more, "and your sponsor is your husband and you have already paid the evaluation fee of 750 credits. Yup, it's seems like everything's set. Now, all you need to do now is pass the initiation test."

"Which'll be what?" Jinn asks firmly.

Laymii leans back in his seat, glancing between Jinn and Boba. "Well, I have five other initiates who are waiting for their initiation test and I have to admit that I'm curious to see what the wife of the great Boba Fett is capable of so... I'm thinking we'll go with The Box."

Boba groans internally. _Kriff._ The Box is a sealed cubic arena at the Guildhouse on Serenno. Six are thrown in with a guaranteed membership to the first person to crawl back out. It's a challenge simulator made of shifting panels and behind each panel is lots and lots of pain. Many have died in there or been seriously injured. It's the one initiation test that no one wants. Boba glances at Jinn, pleased to see that her expression is guarded. Boba told her about The Box last night but was seriously hoping that she didn't have to go through it. 

"When?"

"It'll start tomorrow morning at 10 AM. Hopefully you'll prove your reputation to be as accurate as people say, Fett. It'd be a disappointment if you didn't come out first."

"Oh, I'll be out first, alright. Don't you worry about me," Jinn replies smoothly, giving him a short, vicious smirk. 

Laymii chuckles, "sure I can't interest you in a drink?"

"We'll see you tomorrow, Laymii," Boba responds coldly before standing up.

Jinn follows Boba out of the cantina, the two not saying a word until they reach the safety of his ship. She leans down in her seat, letting out a long sigh, rubbing her temple for a moment as Boba removes his helmet. "Fuck," she grits out as Boba nods. Fuck is accurate. 

"I know you can do this, Jinn," Boba reassures as Jinn nods. 

"I know, but it doesn't make me any less nervous. I'm going to have to meditate before this kriffing thing."

"You need food and sleep. Meditation can wait."

Jinn makes a face, looking like a kid who just got in trouble and doesn't want their punishment, "but meditation _calms_ me."

"Meditation doesn't give you energy to survive the Box," Boba places a plate of food out in front of her, "now _eat_."

He watches as she shoots him a half-hearted annoyed look before digging into her meal. The two spend the rest of dinner discussing the Box and all Boba's heard about it. He gives her advice about how to fight certain creatures, the best moves, and so forth. He knows that she's listening, that she's paying attention to every single detail he tells her but he can also tell that she's not completely there. She's anxious and hiding it well. It's only visible by the way her eyes will glaze over slightly if she gets stuck staring at one particular thing for too long. He lets her silently move to the refresher to change as he clears the plates. 

"Don't," Boba says as Jinn attempts to climb into her bed which has emerged from the wall. She freezes, both hands on the bed as her leg is half slung over it, ready to push herself up. "You need sleep and a good night's rest. You should use my bed."

Jinn pauses for a moment, eyes looking down. "I... I like it out here," she glances away for a moment, tucking some hair behind her ear, adding quickly, "it makes me feel less alone."

Oh. _Oh._

Her fingers curl into the blanket and Boba knows she's debating asking something. Finally, her body relaxes slightly as she faces Boba. Her orange brows are scrunched together, turned into a nervous expression, blue eyes sad and face cautious. He thinks he knows what she wants to ask but waits for her to offer, just in case he's read the situation wrong. But then she sighs, turning away and shaking her head. She's so anxious and scared and nervous that it almost hurts Boba. He doesn't want her feeling this way. He wants to see her happy and smiling and laughing. 

"Do you -"

"Can you stay?" She blurts over Boba's question. Her eyes widen in surprise at her own daringness as she shuts her mouth, cheeks turning a beautiful pink. 

Boba takes a step closer, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder before moving it to her chin, squeezing it slightly. "Looks like you beat me to the punch, huh, _mesh'la_?"

"You... you were going to -?"

"Yeah, but only if you want to, that is."

Jinn casts him a small smirk. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to."

Boba feels relief wash through him as he nods, swallowing heavily as he realizes that he'll be sharing a bed with Jinn. Images flash before him, their legs tangled within the sheets, her hand curling into his hair, nails scraping down his back as he absolutely rails into her. Maybe hearing her moan, maybe a whisper of his name. But he shuts that all down because that is not what Jinn needs right now and anyways, as much as he _is_ attracted to her, like ridiculously, almost pathetically so, he can't be thinking about her like that. It feels... wrong, like he's invading her space. He thinks she might be interested in him like that, there are such obvious clues that are staring him in the face, literally shouting at him, which he is promptly ignoring because after all, he's just a clone. And while he may be different than the other clones that's what he is at the end of the day and he isn't exactly the best people person. No, he's harsh and mean and cruel, never with her, though. But he's not a... _good_ person. Not fully, just like he's not fully a bad person either. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but mostly in this in-between. This grey area where most bounty hunters and mercenaries exist in. Not... not someone deserving of someone like her. 

She's been blessed with the Force. 

He was cursed with being born a clone and having his father die when he was only ten years old. Cursed to live a not-so-always-pleasant life. 

After he changes, he stares at her. She's wearing his clothes that he changed her into when he first found her. She wears that every night and there's something about seeing her in his clothes that this primal urge to claim her, to have her as his, rises up inside him. Which is ridiculous because a person can't belong to another person. But something about seeing her in those, looking so comfortable wearing _his_ clothes with her curly hair down, makes him feel something close to pride. It's so confusing and if he took the time to really think about all these feelings they might make more sense but Boba is as skilled at shoving emotions down and ignoring them as he is at catching acquisitions. 

"Which bed?" He asks as she chews the inside of her lip before silently gesturing for his bedroom. 

Boba slams the button to push the bed back into the wall before grabbing her hand and bringing her into his room. It feels strange, her being in his room like this and the two sharing the same bed, there's a slight awkwardness which Boba tries to quickly abate. He sits down, pushing back the sheets as she lies down next to him. It's not the biggest bed so there isn't a lot of room. The two lie on their backs, staring at the ceiling as the light switches off, as though they're unsure how to lie. Then, Jinn tilts her head to the side to glance at Boba and he can see her lips curve into a small smile even in the darkness, so he tilts his head to look at her. They stare at each other for a moment. 

And then Jinn leans forward and presses her forehead against Boba's. 

His breath catches because he doesn't think she knows what she just did. In Mandalorian culture, originally pressing the foreheads together meant something quite different. Although, over time, it transformed to be a kiss. When two Mandalorians in full armor couldn't take off their helmets to kiss each other, they would press the foreheads of their helmets together. She doesn't know that she literally just kissed Boba the Mandalorian way. He swallows heavily, closing his eyes and he further presses his forehead against hers. Gentle fingertips draw patterns on his face and he leans into the contact, just content to let Jinn touch his face. He could lay here like this for hours like this with her fingertips skimming his face simply just savoring it. Boba lets out a shaky breath that's slightly too loud for this small room as he feels her lips press against his forehead for a long moment. 

This _it it_ , he thinks, _this is what love must feel like._

Love. 

It's a sticky, complicated word. One that races into his mind every time he looks at Jinn, every time he watches as she'll throw her head back to laugh, tilt it to the side when she smiles at him, the way she'll lean into him or touch him. The way he feels about her. He's been denying it for months now, denying that word despite how he knows. He kept shoving it down and down, trying to lock it in that room he never touches where all his bad memories are and repressed feelings and emotions but no, it's somehow forced its way out and now it's in the front of his mind and he's accepting that, yeah, this is it. This is what love is. And it's not bad. 

"Thank you, Boba," she whispers in the darkness. 

"Anytime, Jinn, anytime," he answers just as quietly. 

He pauses for a moment, waiting to see what she'll do. He's slightly surprised when she gives a slight push of his shoulders suggesting him to lie on his back. Boba moves willingly as she wraps an arm around his torso and slings a leg casually across him, making him choke silently on a groan that thankfully never comes. His arm wraps around her waist, pulling her closer and tighter against him as she rests her head on his chest and - and oh, this is nice. Really nice. He could get used to this. The last thing Boba does before sleep comes to him is press a kiss to the top of her head. 

Jinn

Jinn straightens her back as the other initiates and herself are forced to give all of their weapons up. There's four men and one woman. As soon as the two women looked at each other, they gave a single nod of solidarity, both understanding that being a woman in this galaxy is hard enough but being a woman in this sort of business? That takes some strength. And wills of steel not to punch every misogynistic asshole in the face for making a single sexist comment. Something Jinn hasn't fully mastered yet. 

"Be careful with those," she hisses angrily at the man who she hands her swords to, who tosses them carelessly into the bin with all the other weapons. The man scoffs as Jinn clenches her jaw, feeling anger surge through her. "If I see so much as a single scratch on those swords when I come out I'll kill you with them myself."

The man blinks once in surprise for a moment before crossing his arms, showing off his very large and very intimidating muscles. But Jinn doesn't back down. "Yeah, _if_ you come out."

"Oh, I'll come out all right. So, when I do, I want to make sure that that my swords aren't damaged, nor my blaster."

"Get a grip, they're just in a bin."

"Those are one of a kind swords. I made them myself," she growls out and maybe, _maybe_ she shouldn't be taking her anger out on this guy but she's a bit nervous and yeah, not the healthiest way to deal with her fear. 

"You made them yourself?" The man says in a mocking tone, placing a hand on his chest, "wow, that's so moving. Don't care," and one of the initiates who hands him a blaster, the man tosses it down right onto her swords. 

Before Jinn can open her mouth to retort, she feels a gloved hand against her back and a familiar voice asking, "everything alright, _cyar'ika_?"

The man guarding the weapons visibly pales, eyes shooting back and forth between the two of them. Jinn turns to Boba, who lowers his hand to wrap it around her waist, resting on her hip. She places a hand on Boba's shoulder as though she does this all the time. "Nothing, _cyar'ika_ ," she tests as Boba's hand _clenches_ around her waist, pulling her against him even more so. She doesn't even know what the word means but he's called her it enough times now that she knows its some affectionate term of endearment. Just _what_ it means she doesn't know. Her parents taught her a lot of languages growing up just not bloody Mando'a. "Just reminding this kind man here to make sure that no damage comes to my swords," she responds, casting the man a positively vicious smile.

Boba picks up on it immediately, head turning to finally look at the man, who despite being several inches taller than Boba (and Boba's 6"3 so not exactly short), swallows nervously. "You gonna make sure that nothing happens to my wife's swords, right?"

The man's eyes widen at the word 'wife' as he nods his head frantically. "Y-yes, Mr. Fett."

Boba simply grunts before guiding Jinn away from the terrified man and the bin of weapons, a little bit away from the Box which looms in front of them. They stand slightly under the shadows of the stands on the second floor of the building, which has balconies that allow for people to look at the Box which is situated on the first floor. 

"You alright?" He asks, lowering his voice, hand still on her hip as she sighs against him, feeling considerably more relaxed. 

"I think I was just a bit nervous, that's all. I still am and... I guess I just feel _vulnerable_ without all of my weapons. And it's not like I can exactly use you-know-what without completely giving myself away so -" she ends with a shrug. She casts him a sly, curious glance, lips tugging in a smile, "what exactly does _cyar'ika_ mean?"

Boba lets out a low laugh that warms Jinn and washes away more of her anxieties. "You called me _cyar'ika_ without even knowing what it means?"

Jinn tilts her head to the side slightly, fingers pressing against his helmet, wishing desperately that she could see that beautiful face of his and those warm brown eyes. "What? You're not going to tell you 'wife' what your favorite nickname is for her?"

"It's not a nickname, it's a term of endearment," he pauses for a moment, clearing his throat before lowering his voice, "it... it means darling or beloved."

Oh. _Oh._

"I... I like it, a lot" Jinn whispers, not sure why her voice has lowered so much, "it's sweet."

"Yeah, well, you know -" she realizes after a moment that Boba's _flustered_ , "you're deserving of it so -" he finishes with a shrug. Her entire body _warms_ because that's just so damn sweet and if she hadn't fallen for him already she would've in this very moment. But no, she fell for Boba Fett hard and fast months ago. 

Jinn squeezes his shoulder, "thank you, and so are you," she chews her lip for a moment, debating asking the question before deciding that knowing is worth it rather than guessing, "is it something only you can call me or...?"

Boba shakes his head. "It's not reserved for one gender or the other."

She fixes Boba with a stare, "that's not what I meant."

He's silent for a moment before she feels _warmth_ radiate from him through the Force. "Yeah, yeah you can call me _cyar'ika_ , _mesh'la_."

A large smile spreads across her face but before she can get another word out, Laymii is shouting through a microphone, asking all the contestants to come to the center. Boba walks with Jinn towards where the rest of the other initiates are already standing. Some are speaking with their sponsors while the others were glancing at each other, some looking nervous, others looking tough, and others looking unperturbed with the whole thing. Although, when they notice that green armor, all of their eyes go right to Boba and Jinn. The two don't pay any attention to them as Boba leans forward, pressing his helmet against Jinn's forehead for a moment. She's slightly surprised he's even showing this much affection in front of so many people but then she realizes a moment later that he's doing it for her, to comfort her. 

"Good luck, _cyar'ika_ ," Boba whispers as Jinn smiles at the term of endearment. 

"Thanks, _cyar'ika_. I'll come back for you."

Boba squeezes Jinn's hip before pulling away, "you better."

She smiles at him one last time before walking over to the other initiates, all of them stare at her with wonder in their eyes. Some are suspicious, but most are trying to figure out who she is and who she is to Boba Fett. Jinn stands next to the only other woman, a human who looks to be around her age, with long black hair tied into a sleek braid and almond shaped eyes. The woman extends her hand. 

"Nima Valli," she introduces as Jinn shakes her hand. 

"Dawn Fett," Jinn responds as the woman pauses for a moment, eyes going behind Jinn to glance at where she assumes Boba is standing.

"Ah, so you're Fett's mysterious wife. Whole Guild is talking about it," she says with a smirk as they let go. 

"I'm not surprised. Most people don't take him as the type."

She snorts. "No one did, some people still don't. My sponsor was shocked when they found out, said it was impossible."

"Who's your sponsor?"

"Jas Emari. She doesn't usually take sponsors but when she does, they're always women. Says there needs to be more women in the business."

Jinn shares a smirk with her, "I couldn't agree more."

"Let me guess, your husband is your -"

"Alright everyone, settle down," Laymii cuts off their conversation as silence begins to descend upon the building. "Now before we send our six initiates here into the Box, why don't we introduce them? We have Vaylar Biki," a male Twi'lek with blue skin nods his head; "Dorrian Nilaski," a human male with dark skin and scars all over him doesn't even react, looking surprisingly relaxed; "Vilxar Night," a yellow male Zabrak bares his teeth at the audience, lovely; "Jooli Bomjali," a male Rodian who seems to not be moving either in fear or attempting to look as though he's unafraid; "Nima Valli," the woman Jinn had just been chatting with shoves her fist into the air and it's in that moment that Jinn realizes she should be doing something when they call her name; "and last but not least, Dawn Fett." Jinn claps her left hand over the vambrace on her right forearm, legs spread wide, imitating a stance Boba will take oftentimes in public. She can already hear the whispers of her surname break out as she glances at Boba. He nods his helmet as she smirks at him, trying to look confident and not like she's considering throwing up her breakfast. 

"Quiet, everyone!" Laymii calls out again, "now, the Box is very simple. There are three challenges, sometimes you'll be all together, other times you might be broken up, facing different challenges than your opponents. Some of you might not make it back, others will. However, the first to get out of the Box will get an official membership to the Guild. Everyone else, well, say goodbye to your dreams of getting in the Guild unless you want to give the Box another go. The only rule in the Box is this: no killing the other initiates. You can work together or alone but don't go killing any of them. That ears your an automatic elimination and you don't want to know what that elimination is." _Joy._ "Good luck," Laymii says to the initiates as a platform lowers from the Box, "you'll need it."

Jinn glances behind her to see Boba standing there. He gives her a small nod of his helmet as she smiles back at him, a real one this time. As she and the other initiates stand on the platform, she nervously plays with her vambrace, having been forced to take the communication device off it and handing it off to Boba. At least she still has it. She nearly got into an argument with the person who told her she had to take the entire vambrace off and instead she ripped the communication device right off of it and got the okay from Laymii, who had wandered over to where they were standing. 

"May the best woman win," Nima whispers to her as Jinn nods before the platform raises, leaving behind everyone except the six of them as they enter the Box. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like all my chapters, this was a fun chapter to write, especially with finally making those feelings between Boba and Jinn more real instead of just attraction. I can't wait to write the next chapter and can't wait for you guys to read it because it's about Jinn going through her challenges in the Box and there are some interesting surprises waiting! Thank you to everyone who reads I really appreciate it <3


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